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Analysis  of  the  Gospels 


OF 


THE  SUNDAYS  OF  THE  YEAR. 


From  the  Italiajt  of 

ANGELO   CAGNOLA. 


BY 


Rev.    L.    a.    LAMBERT,   LL.D., 

AUTHOR   OF    "NOTES   ON   INGERSOLL,"    "TACTICS   OF   INFIDELS,"    ETC. 


New  York,  Cincinnati,  Chicago: 
BKNZIGKR    BROTHERS, 

Printers  to  the  Holy  Apostolic   See. 
1892. 


9r)^^ 


IRtbtl  ©bstat, 

D.   J.    McMahon,   D.D., 

Ce?isor  L  ibroru  in . 


"TACK 

Umprimatut. 


Michael   Augustine, 

Archbishop  of  New   York. 


New  York,  September  15,  1892. 


Copyright,  1892,  bv  Benziger  Brothers. 


CONTENTS. 


i^CMl.'m, 


First  Sunday  of  Advent, 

Second  Sunday  of  Advent, 

Third  Sunday  of  Advent, 

Fourth  Sunday  of  Advent, 

Christmas  Day,   . 

Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  Christmas, 

New  Year's  Day. — The  Feast  of  the  Circumcision, 

Feast  of  the  Epiphany, 

First  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

Second  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

Third  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

Fifth  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

Sixth  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

Septuagesima  Sunda3^ 

Sexagesima  Sunday,    . 

Quinquagesima  Sunday, 

First  Sunday  of  Lent, 

Second  Sunday  of  Lent, 

Third  Sunday  of  Len>t, 


PAGE 

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21 
24 

30 

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42 
45 
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64 
69 

74 
78 

83 
88 


CONTENTS. 


Trinity  Sunday, 


Fourth  Sunday  of  Lent, 

Fifth  Sunday  of  Lent,  or  Passion  Sunday,  . 

Palm  Sunday, 

Easter  Sunday,    . 

First  Sunday  after  Easter,  . 

Second  Sunday  after  Easter, 

Third  Sunday  after  Easter, 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Easter, 

Fifth  Sunday  after  Easter,  . 

Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  the  Ascension, 

Pentecost  Sunday, 

First  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  or 

Second  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Third  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Fifth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Sixth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Seventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Eighth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Ninth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Tenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Eleventh  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Twelfth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Thirteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Fourteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Fifteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 

Sixteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 


PAGE 

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172 
176 

179 

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185 
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194 

197 
201 
205 


CONTENTS. 


Seventeenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 
Eighteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,    . 
Nineteenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost,    . 
Twentieth  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 
Twenty-first  Sunday  after  Pentecost,  . 
Twenty-second  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 
Twenty-third  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 
Twenty-fourth  and  Last  Sunday  after  Pentecost, 


PAGE 

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214 
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223 

227 

230 

-39 


ANALYSIS  OF  THE  GOSPELS  OF  THE 
SUNDAYS   OF  THE   YEAR. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  OF  ADI/ENT. 

Gospel :  vSt.  Luke  xxi.  25-33. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "And  there 
shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in 
the  stars,  and  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations,  by  reason 
of  the  confusion  of  the  roaring  of  the  sea  and  of  the 
waves :  men  withering  away  for  fear  and  expectation  of 
what  shall  come  upon  the  whole  world.  For  the  powers 
of  heaven  shall  be  moved  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of 
man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  great  power  and  majesty. 
But  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  look  up  and 
lift  up  your  heads :  because  your  redemption  is  at  hand. 
And  He  spoke  to  them  a  similitude:  See  the  fig-tree  and 
all  the  trees:  when  they  now  shoot  forth  their  fruit  you 
know  that  summer  is  nigh.  So  you  also,  when  you  shall 
see  these  things  come  to  pass,  know  that  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  at  hand.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  this  generation  shall 
not  pass  away  till  all  things  be  fulfilled.  Heaven  and 
earth  shall  pass  away :  but  My  words  shall  not  pass  away. " 

Question.  What  w^as  the  purpose  of  Our  Lord  in 
this  discourse? 

Answer.  His  purpose  was  to  make  known  some  of 
the  events  which  are  to  precede  the  end  of  the  world 
and  to  incite  Christians  to  prepare  for  that  general 


8  FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 

judgment  which  He  will  come  to  pass  on  the  living 
and  the  dead,  that  is,  on  the  just  and  the  unjust. 

Q.  What  are  these  signs  which  will  be  seen  in  the 
sun,  moon,  and  stars? 

A.  Our  Lord,  in  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  tells  us  that 
the  sun  shall  be  darkened,  the  moon  shall  no  longer 
give  her  light,  the  stars  shall  fall  from  heaven,  and 
the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be  moved. 

Q.  It  will  be  thus  in  the  natural  order,  but  how 
can  this  be  understood  in  the  spiritual  order? 

A.  In  the  darkening  of  the  sun  we  can  recognize 
the  loss  which  the  Church  suffers  by  the  persecu- 
tions of  Anti-christ.  In  the  obscuring  of  the  moon 
we  see  the  ruin  produced  in  men  by  the  decay  of 
charity.  Our  Lord  tells  us  that  if  these  days  be  not 
shortened  on  account  of  the  elect,  none  would  be 
saved.  The  stars  falling  from  heaven  represent 
teachers  and  preachers  of  the  law  and  the  faith  who 
have  fallen  away,  like  the  stars  dragged  down  by  the 
dragon  described  in  the  Apocalypse.  Lastly,  in  the 
dissolution  of  the  forces  of  nature  is  represented  the 
decay  of  the  Christian  virtues,  and  in  the  consterna- 
tion of  peoples  is  seen  the  disorder  caused  by  the 
decay  of  good  morals  and  the  triumph  of  impiety. 

Q.   Why  will  the  Son  of  God  appear  upon  a  cloud? 

A.  To  manifest  His  glory  and  power;  the  clouds 
being  in  Scripture  language  a  symbol  of  the  divinity, 
the  chariot,  the  throne  of  the  omnipotence  and  maj- 
esty of  God. 

Q.  In  what  other  ways  will  the  power  and  majesty 
of  Jesus  Christ  be  manifested? 

A.  His  power  will  be  shown  forth  in  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead,  who  will  in  a  moment  return  to  life 


FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 


at  His  command,  on  His  appearance  as  Judge.  He 
will  be  an  object  of  joy  to  the  just,  of  terror  to  the 
sinner,  and  of  wonder  to  all ;  and  lastly,  His  power 
and  glory  will  appear  in  passing  sentence,  rewarding 
the  good  and  punishing  the  impious — a  sentence 
which  none  can  escape. 

Q.   And  how  will  His  majesty  be  manifested? 

A.  It  will  shine  forth  in  the  resplendent  light  which 
will  emanate  from  His  body  and  be,  perhaps,  greater 
than  on  Thabor,  when  He  appeared  accompanied  by 
angels  and  saints.  His  majesty  will  also  appear  in 
the  splendor  of  His  throne,  in  the  luminous  cross,  in 
the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  in  the  lightnings  and 
thunders,  in  the  earthquakes,  and  in  all  the  portents 
which  precede  and  foretell  His  coming. 

Q.  How  are  we  to  understand  the  words :  "  Look 
up  and  lift  up  your  heads,  because  your  redemption 
is  at  hand  "? 

A.  By  these  words  Our  Lord  invites  His  just  to 
have  courage  and  to  hope,  because  these  prodigies 
will  make  known  to  them  that  the  time  is  at  hand 
when  they  will  be  liberated  from  the  miseries  of  life 
and  the  bonds  of  death  to  arise  glorious  and  immortal, 
and  enter  soul  and  body  into  the  happiness  of  heaven. 

Q.  Why  should  they  know  from  these  prodigies  that 
the  time  of  their  liberation  is  at  hand  ? 

A.  Because  Our  Lord  promised  that  as  the  unfold- 
ing plants  indicate  the  immediate  coming  of  summer, 
so  the  prodigies  foretold  by  Him  indicate  the  imme- 
diate approach  of  the  end  of  the  world  and  the  resur- 
rection of  the  flesh;  and  the  just,  after  so  great  tribu- 
lations, will  receive  the  reward  of  their  patience,  their 
constancy,  and  their  fidelity  in  the  service  of  God. 


10  FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 

Q.  Of  what  does  Our  Lord  speak  when  He  says: 
"This  generation  shall  not  pass  away  till  all  things 
be  fulfilled"? 

A.  According  to  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew,  Our 
Lord,  in  the  discourse  of  which  the  Gospel  of  to-day 
is  but  a  part,  spoke  of  two  things,  namely,  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  and  the  end  of  the  world. 
Referring  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  Our  Lord 
by  "  this  generation  "  meant  the  Jews  who  lived  in 
His  own  time.  Referring  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
"this  generation"  means  the  whole  human  race.  As 
His  prediction  regarding  Jerusalem  has  been  fulfilled 
by  the  overthrow  of  that  city,  so  will  His  prediction 
regarding  the  end  of  the  world  be  fulfilled.  He  has 
pledged  His  word  and  His  word  does  not  fail.  The 
heavens  and  the  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  the  word 
of  Christ  will  not  change. 

Q.  Why  does  the  Church  at  the  beginning  of  Ad- 
vent direct  our  attention  to  this  Gospel? 

A.  As  in  the  Gospel  of  to-day  we  are  reminded  of 
that  general  judgment  which  Christ  will  pronounce 
on  the  last  day,  the  Church  directs  our  attention  to 
the  Gospel  for  three  motives  referable  to  that  judg- 
ment. 

Q.   What  is  the  first  of  these  motives? 

A.  The  first  motive  of  the  Church  is  to  remind  us 
how  this  same  Jesus  Christ,  Whom  in  a  short  time  we 
will  admire  in  His  humility  lying  in  a  manger  for 
love  of  us,  and  to  teach  us  the  way  to  heaven,  will 
one  day  descend  on  earth  in  awful  majesty  to  demand 
account  of  the  use  we  have  made  of  His  graces  and 
gifts,  and  to  judge  us  according  to  our  actions. 

Q.  And  what  is  the  second  motive? 


SFXOXI)    SUXDAV    C)V    ADVEXT.  TI 

A.  The  second  motive  of  the  Church  is  to  incite  us 
by  a  wholesome  fear  to  prepare  ourselves  to  receive 
Jesus  Christ  with  love  at  His  first  coming,  and  for- 
sake sin  and  obey  His  holy  law,  so  that  at  His  second 
coming  we  may  appear  with  confidence,  well  prepared, 
at  His  tribunal. 

Q.   And  what  is  the  last  motive? 

A.  It  is  to  impress  deeply  on  our  minds  the  thought 
of  the  last  judgment,  for  to  avoid  sin  and  excite  our- 
selves to  penance  it  is  enough  to  know  that  one  day 
all  our  actions  will  be  judged.  It  is  to  make  this 
thought  of  the  last  judgment  useful  and  efficacious 
that  the  Church,  with  maternal  solicitude,  recalls  it  to 
our  minds  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal year,  and  frequently  during  the  course  of  the  year. 

Q.  What  should  we  then  do  in  this  holy  season  of 
Advent? 

A.  We  should  meditate  on  the  coming  of  Christ, 
tJic  Judge,  in  order  to  prepare  ourselves  to  commem- 
orate the  day  when  He  came  as  tJic  Saviour.  We 
should  often  pray  to  the  Child  J  esus  to  be  reborn  and 
grow  in  our  hearts  with  His  holy  grace.  We  should 
prepare  in  our  hearts  the  way  for  Him  by  works  of 
penance  and  piety,  and  above  all  by  the  use  of  the 
holy  sacraments. 


SECOND   SUNDAY   OF  ADl^ENT. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xi.  2-10. 

AT  that  time,  "  When  John  had  heard  in  prison  the 
works  of  Christ,  sending  two  of  his  disciples,  he  said 
to  Him :  Art  thou  He  that  art  to  come,  or  do  we  look 
for  another?     And  Jesus  making  answer  said  to  them :  Go 


12  SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 

and  relate  to  John  what  you  have  heard  and  seen.  The 
blind  see,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  the  deaf 
hear,  the  dead  rise  again,  the  poor  have  the  gospel 
preached  to  them:  and  blessed  is  he  that  shall  not  be 
scandalized  in  Me.  And  when  they  went  their  way, 
Jesus  began  to  say  to  the  multitudes  concerning  John : 
What  went  you  out  into  the  desert  to  see?  a  reed  shaken 
with  the  wind?  But  what  went  you  out  to  see?  a  man 
clothed  in  soft  garments?  Behold  they  that  are  clothed  in 
soft  garments  are  in  the  houses  of  kings.  But  what  went 
you  out  to  see?  a  prophet?  Yea  I  tell  you,  and  more 
than  a  prophet.  For  this  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written  : 
Behold  I  send  My  Angel  before  Thy  face,  who  shall  pre- 
pare Thy  way  before  Thee. " 

Q.  Where  was  St.  John  when  he  sent  this  embassy 
to  Our  Lord? 

A.  He  was  in  prison,  by  order  of  the  impious 
Herod,  who  was  enraged  by  the  reproofs  the  Baptist 
had  given  him  on  account  of  the  incestuous  life  he 
was  leading  with  Herodias,  the  wife  of  his  brother 
Philip,  Tetrarch  of  Trachonitis. 

Q.   Why  did  St.  John  send  this  embassy  to  Christ? 

A.  He  sent  it  in  order  to  give  his  disciples  an  op- 
portunity of  knowing  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  convince 
them  that  He  was  truly  the  Messias  foretold  by  the 
prophets  and  expected  of  nations. 

Q.   Had  St.  John  any  doubt  of  this? 

A.  It  was  his  disciples  who  doubted;  he  himself 
was  certain  of  the  fact,  because  when  baptizing  Our 
Lord  in  the  Jordan  he  had  seen  the  Holy  Ghost  com- 
ing down  upon  Him  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  and  had 
heard  the  testimony  of  the  Eternal  Father,  Who  said 
from  on  high :  "  This  is  My  beloved  Son  in  Whom  I 
am  well  pleased;"  and  He  Himself  had  added:  "Be- 


SECOND    SUNDAY    OP    ADVENT.  13 

hold  the  Lamb  of  God,  Who  taketh  away  the  sins  of 
the  world." 

Q.  Had  the  Jews  reason  to  ask  Jesus  if  He  was  the 
Messias? 

A.  They  had  reason  both  in  regard  to  the  times 
and  to  Christ  Himself. 

Q.  Why  in  regard  to  the  times? 

A.  According  to  the  predictions  of  the  prophets 
the  expected  Messias  was  to  appear  when  the  nations 
of  the  East  had  fallen  under  the  power  of  one  great 
empire,  when  the  seventy  weeks  of  years  spoken  of 
by  Daniel,  the  prophet,  were  completed,  and  when  the 
sceptre  of  absolute  dominion  had  passed  from  the 
kingdom  of  Juda,  as  foretold  by  Jacob.  Now,  in  the 
time  of  Christ  all  these  predictions  were  fulfilled. 
-The  nations  of  the  East  had  fallen  under  the  power 
of  the  Roman  empire,  the  seventy  weeks  of  years  w^ere 
ended,  and  the  sceptre  had  passed  from  the  land  of 
Juda,  and  the  Israelites  groaned  under  the  yoke  of  the 
stranger.  The  Jews,  therefore,  had  good  reason  in 
the  time  of  Christ  to  expect  the  coming  of  the  Messias. 

Q.  Had  they  reason  to  recognize  Christ  as  the 
Messias? 

A.  In  Him  and  in  Him  alone  they  should  have 
recognized  the  Messias.  In  Him  the  most  minute 
circumstances  regarding  the  Messias  were  verified. 
And  if  the  Hebrews,  instead  of  expecting  and  desir- 
ing, through  a  misunderstanding,  a  warrior,  a  con- 
queror, an  earthly  and  powerful  prince,  had  given 
attention  to  what  was  foretold  of  His  birth,  growth, 
habits,  actions,  of  His  humiliations,  sufferings,  and 
death,  they  would  have  been  compelled  to  recognize 
Him  as  the  Messias. 


14  SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 

Q.  How  did  Jesus  Christ  prove  that  He  was  the 
promised  Messias? 

A.  As  actions  prove  the  character  of  a  man,  Jesus 
Christ  proved  that  He  was  the  expected  Messias  by 
referring  to  His  own  actions  as  those  described  by 
the  prophet  Isaias  in  particular. 

Q.   Why  do  you  say  this? 

A.  Isaias  had  foretold  that  the  expected  Saviour 
would  cure  the  lame,  the  blind,  the  leprous,  the  deaf 
and  the  mute,  raise  the  dead  and  preach  to  the  poor 
the  way  of  salvation.  Jesus  Christ  did  all  these 
things,  and  proved  that  He  was  the  promised  Messias 
by  appealing  to  His  own  acts,  which  were  precisely 
those  described  by  the  prophet.  When  the  disciples 
of  St.  John  asked  Him :  "  Art  thou  He  that  is  to  come 
or  look  we  for  another?"  He  replied:  "Go  and  relate 
to  John  what  you  have  heard,  and  what  you  have 
seen  with  your  own  eyes." 

Q.  What  did  the  disciples  of  St.  John  hear  and 
see? 

A.  From  the  multitude  that  followed  Jesus  Christ 
they  heard  of  the  wonders  worked  by  Him,  and  from 
Himself  they  heard  the  heavenly  doctrine  preached 
and  eternal  life  announced;  and  as  St.  Luke  tells  us, 
they  saw  with  their  own  eyes  the  miracles  worked  in 
their  presence  by  the  same  Divine  Redeemer  Who,  to 
convince  them,  was  pleased  to  cure  the  blind,  the 
lame,  the  deaf,  the  mute,  and  lastly  raised  the  dead 
in  their  presence. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  say  to  all  this? 

A.  That  Christ  did  not  fail  to  submit  the  most  con- 
vincing proofs  that  He  was  the  messenger  of  the 
Eternal  Father,  and  that  those  who  refused  to  recog- 


SECOND    SUNDAY    OV    ADNENl'.  1 5 

nize  in  Him  the  Saviour  promised  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  were  blind,  impious,  and  without  excuse. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  say:  "Blessed  are  those  who 
shall  not  be  scandalized  in  Me  "? 

A.  His  poverty,  His  lowliness,  His  sufferings,  and 
death  led  carnal  men  to  believe  that  He  was  anything 
but  God.  Therefore  it  was  that  He  declared  blessed 
those  who  would  not  permit  themselves  to  be  deceived 
by  appearances,  as  did  the  doubting  disciples  of  St. 
John,  and  who,  notwithstanding  His  humiliation, 
should  recognize  Him  as  the  true  Messias  and  true 
God,  annihilated  for  the  salvation  of  the  world. 
Blessed  are  we  then  who,  taught  not  by  flesh  and 
blood,  but  by  the  grace  of  the  Eternal  Father,  have 
recognized  and  adored  the  Crucified,  the  only  Son  of 
,the  living  God. 

Q.   Why  did  Christ,  Our  Lord,  praise  St.  John? 

A.  In  order  that  those  who  heard  Him,  struck  by 
the  example  of  that  great  and  wonderful  man  whom 
He  called  the  angel  sent  by  the  Lord  to  prepare  His 
way,  might  be  still  more  confirmed  in  their  faith. 

Q.  Why  did  He  wait  till  vSt.  John's  disciples  had 
gone  before  praising  him  ? 

A.  That  they  might  not  relate  to  St.  John  the 
praises  spoken  by  the  Divine  ]Master,  lest  they  might 
think  Him  guilty  of  flattery ;  and  to  teach  us  that  in 
praising  the  virtues  of  others  we  should  be  careful 
not  to  give  occasion  of  pride  to  those  we  praise. 

Q.   What  did  Christ  praise  in  St.  John? 

A.  His  strength  of  soul,  that  did  not  permit  him  to 
be  puffed  up  by  the  applause  of  the  multitude,  nor  to 
be  discouraged  by  sufferings  and  persecution.  He 
praised  the  austerity  of  his  life,  his  detachment  from 


1 6  THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 

the  things  of  the  world,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
destiny  of  him  who  prepared  the  way  for  the  Messias 
and  announced  the  actual  presence  of  the  Saviour, 
Whom  the  ancient  prophets  had  announced  from  afar. 

Q.  What  should  we  learn  from  this  day's  Gospel? 

A.  We  should  learn  from  St.  John  to  profit  by  every 
means  compatible  with  our  state  or  condition ;  to  be 
always  zealous  followers  and  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ; 
to  cause  His  holy  name  to  be  praised,  by  laboring 
constantly  in  His  service ;  not  to  be  pliant  as  reeds  to 
every  wind  of  temptation ;  to  flee  from  the  luxuries 
of  life  and  the  pomps  of  the  world,  and  lastly  to  show 
forth  in  our  own  lives  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ,  follow- 
ing His  example  and  practising  the  virtues  which  He 
made  the  models  of  excellence. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT, 

Gospel:  St.  John  i.  19-28. 

AT  that  time:  "The  Jews  sent  from  Jerusalem  priests 
and  levites  to  John,  to  ask  him:  Who  art  thou?  And 
he  confessed,  and  did  not  deny ;  and  he  confessed :  I  am 
not  the  Christ.  And  they  asked  him :  What  then?  Art 
thou  Elias?  And  he  said:  I  am  not.  Art  thou  the 
prophet?  And  he  answered:  No.  They  said  therefore 
unto  him :  Who  art  thou,  that  we  may  give  an  answer  to 
them  that  sent  us?  What  sayest  thou  of  thyself?  He 
said:  I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness: 
Make  straight  the  way  of  the  Lord,  as  said  the  prophet 
Isaias.  And  they  that  were  sent  were  of  the  Pharisees. 
And  they  asked  him,  and  said  to  him :  Why  then  dost  thon 
baptize,  if  thou  be  not  Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  the  prophet? 
John  answered  them,   saying:  I  baptize  with  water,  but 


THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT.  1 7 

there  hath  stood  One  in  the  midst  of  you  Whom  you  know 
not.  The  same  is  he  that  shall  come  after  me,  Who  is 
preferred  before  me:  the  latchet  of  Whose  shoe  I  am 
not  worthy  to  loose.  These  things  were  done  in  Bethania 
beyond  the  Jordan,  where  John  was  baptizing." 

Q.  What  was  the  object  of  the  Pharisees  in  sending 
the  priests  and  levites  to  St.  John  ? 

A.  The  Pharisees  were  learned  in  the  law  and  the 
prophets,  and  they  knew  that  the  time  of  the  prom- 
ised Messias  was  near  at  hand.  Knowing  the  angelic 
and  wonderful  life  of  St.  John  they  very  naturally 
concluded  that  he  might  be  the  promised  Messias  of 
God  Whom  they  were  expecting.  They  therefore 
sent  priests  and  levites  to  St.  John  that  they  might 
have  from  himself  reliable  information  on  this  im- 
portant subject. 

Q.  Why  did  these  messengers  ask  St.  John  if  he 
were  not  Elias,  after  they  had  heard  that  he  was  not 
the  Christ? 

A.  Elias  did  not  die ;  he  was  taken  up  from  the 
earth  in  a  chariot  of  fire,  and  God  said  by  the  mouth 
of  Malachy  that  He  would  send  the  prophet  back  to 
the  world  before  the  great  and  terrible  day  of  the 
Lord.  But  the  Jews  did  not  understand  rightly  these 
words,  and  erroneously  applied  them  to  the  coming  of 
Christ  as  Redeemer  when  they  should  have  applied 
them  to  His  coming  as  the  Judge  of  men.  As  they 
were  expecting  the  Messias  at  that  time,  they,  in 
view  of  the  words  of  Malachy,  looked  for  the  return 
to  the  world  of  the  prophet  Elias.  With  this  in  their 
minds  they  very  naturally  asked  St.  John  if  he  were 
Elias  who  was  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  Saviour  of 
Israel. 


1 8  THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    AJ)VENT. 

Q.  And  why  did  St.  John  say  that  he  was  not  Elias 
when  Christ  declared  he  was? 

A.  "St.  John,"  says  Gregory  the  Great,  "was  filled 
with  the  spirit  and  virtue  of  Elias,  but  was  not  Elias 
in  person.  St.  John,  then,  was  right  in  denying  that 
he  was  Elias  in  person,  and  ChrivSt  was  right  in  calling 
him  Elias  in  reference  to  the  spirit  and  virtue  for 
which  he  was  conspicuous,  and  also  because  of  his 
office  of  precursor.  vSt.  John  was  the  Elias  or  pre- 
cursor of  Christ's  first  coming,  as  Elias  is  to  be  the 
precursor  of  Christ's  last  coming  on  earth." 

Q.  Why  did  vSt.  John  deny  that  he  was  even  a 
prophet  ? 

A.  A  prophet  is  one  who  foresees  and  foretells  future 
events.  In  this  sense  St.  John  was  not  a  prophet, 
because  he  did  not  foretell  the  coming  of  the  Saviour, 
but  announced  His  actual  presence,  and  pointed  Him 
out,  when  he  said :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  Who 
taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world."  On  this  account 
he  was  greater  than  all  the  prophets,  as  Christ  Him- 
self declared  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew. 

Q.  Why  did  St.  John,  when  urged  to  tell  who  he 
was,  reply  that  he  was  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the 
wilderness:   "  Make  straight  the  way  of  the  Lord  "? 

A.  By  his  reply  the  Baptist  informed  them  of  the 
nature  of  his  mission,  and  directed  their  attention  to 
the  prophecy  of  Isaias  which  foretold  his  coming,  by 
quoting  the  words  of  the  prophet :  "  Speak  to  the 
heart  of  Jerusalem,  saith  the  Lord,  and  call  aloud 
to  her;  be  ye  comforted,  My  people,  for  your  evil  is 
come  to  an  end,  then  shall  be  heard  a  voice  of  one 
crying  in  the  ivilderness,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  make  straight  His  paths.''     He  also   gave  them 


THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT.  I9 

a  striking  proof  of  his  great  humility,  for  though  he 
was  promised  by  an  angel,  born  by  a  prodigy  of  the 
Most  High,  and  sanctified  before  his  birth  by  the 
presence  of  the  Redeemer,  yet  he  merely  says  of 
himself:  "I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wil- 
derness." 

Q.  Why  did  these  messengers  ask  St.  John  why  he 
baptized  if  he  was  not  the  Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  the 
prophet  ? 

A.  These  messengers  were  both  learned  and  ma- 
lignant. They  knew  from  the  Scriptures  that  the 
Messias  was  to  baptize  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and 
that  of  no  other  man,  saint  or  prophet,  had  such  a 
prediction  been  made.  They  therefore  wished  impu- 
dently to  reprove  him  as  pretending  to  an  authority 
and  ministry  which  he  was  not  authorized  to  assume. 

Q.   What  reply  did  St.  John  make  to  this  insult? 

A.  He  answered  with  a  gentleness  in  perfect  keep- 
ing with  the  character  of  a  minister  of  the  Lord.  He 
gave  an  account  of  his  works,  added  what  sufficed  to 
enlighten  them,  and  returned  good  for  evil.  He  said 
that  he  baptized  with  water,  that  he  came  to  show 
them  the  way  to  penance,  to  prepare  them  to  receive 
the  Saviour,  that  there  was  then  in  the  midst  of  them 
One  Who  was  to  baptize  in  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  that  they  did  not  know  Him 
because  they  thought  Him  a  poor,  humble,  common 
man. 

Q.  Is  there  nothing  else  to  be  observed  in  the  re- 
ply of  St.  John  ? 

A.  We  must  note  the  testimony  given  by  him  in 
favor  of  Jesus  Christ.  St.  John  said  of  Him  in  effect: 
"  He  is  the  Person  Who  will  come  after  me,  Who  will 


20  THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    ADVENT. 

wash  away  your  sins  and  sanctify  you.  He  is  greater 
than  I,  and  before  me,  and  I  am  not  worthy  to  loosen 
the  latchets  of  His  shoes."  In  this  .way  he  pointed 
out  the  Saviour,  and  left  them  without  any  pretext  in 
not  recognizing  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Messias. 

Q.   Where  did  this  event  take  place? 

A.  On  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Jordan  opposite  to 
Galgal,  in  a  place  called  Bethany  or  Bethabara,  the 
place  where  the  Hebrews  pitched  their  tents  by  com- 
mand of  Josue,  before  they  passed  over  to  enter  the 
Promised  Land.  St.  John,  who  preached  penance  and 
passing  from  a  state  of  sin  to  a  state  of  grace,  chose 
this  place  from  whence  the  chosen  people  passed  from 
their  wanderings  in  the  desert  to  the  abundance  of 
the  Land  of  Promise. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  St.  John? 

A.  We  should  learn  to  practise  humility  as  he  did, 
by  confessing  sincerely  our  nothingness,  by  not 
sounding  our  own  praises  even  when  there  may  be 
occasion  to  do  so  without  danger  of  ostentation,  and 
by  suffering  with  patience  injurious  words  even  when 
performing  faithfully  our  duties. 

Q.  Is  there  any  other  lesson  for  us  in  the  example 
of  St.  John? 

A.  Yes,  we  should  consider  what  our  own  answer 
will  be  when,  like  St.  John,  we  are  asked:  "Who  art 
thou?  "  Grant,  O  Lord,  that  we  may  be  able  to  an- 
swer when  the  time  comes:  "We  are  Christians." 
Lastly,  let  us  apply  to  ourselves  these  words :  "  Make 
straight  the  way  of  the  Lord."  Let  us  make  every 
effort  to  prepare  for  the  spiritual  new-birth  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  our  souls. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT.  2l 

FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT. 
Gospel:  St.  Luke  iii.  i-6. 

AT  that  time:  "In  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of 
Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius  Pilate  being  governor  of 
Judea,  and  Herod  being  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  and  Philip, 
his  brother,  being  tetrarch  of  Iturea  and  the  country  of 
Trachonitis,  and  Lysanias  tetrarch  of  Abilina,  under  the 
high-priests  Annas  andCaiphas:  the  word  of  the  Lord  was 
made  unto  John,  the  son  of  Zachary,  in  the  desert.  And 
he  came  into  all  the  country  about  the  Jordan,  preaching 
the  baptism  of  penance  for  the  remission  of  sins,  as  it  is 
written  in  the  book  of  the  words  of  Isaias  the  prophet:  A 
voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness:  Prepare  ye  the  way 
of  the  Lord :  make  straight  His  paths.  Every  valley  shall 
be  filled :  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought 
low :  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough 
ways  plain.     And  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God." 

Q.  Why  did  the  Evangelist  give  so  minute  a  de- 
scription of  the  rulers  and  high-priests  living  at  the 
time  when  St.  John  preached? 

A.  He  did  so  for  three  reasons:  First,  to  clearly 
establish  the  time  and  year  in  which  the  promised 
precursor  of  the  ^lessias  was  to  appear  and  w4th  him 
Jesus  Christ  Himself. 

Q.  What  was  the  second  reason? 

A.  To  show  that  the  Redeemer  had  manifested 
Himself  to  the  world  at  the  precise  time  prophesied  by 
the  patriarch  Jacob  sixteen  hundred  and  thirty  years 
before.  The  time  foretold  was  when  the  sceptre 
should  pass  from  Lsrael  into  the  hands  of  strangers,  as 
were  Tiberius  Caesar,  Lysanias,  and  the  two  brothers 


22  FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT. 

Herod  Antipas  and  Philip,  sons  of  the  Idumian  Herod 
who  commanded  the  slaughter  of  the  Innocents. 

Q.   What  was  the  third  reason? 

A.  The  third  reason  why  St.  Luke  wrote  go  mi- 
nutely of  the  rulers  and  high  priests  was  to  show  the 
part  taken  by  them  in  the  history  of  Christ.  Tiberius 
ruled  the  Roman  Empire  at  the  time  of  Christ's 
preaching  and  death.  It  was  he  who,  struck  by 
Christ's  miracles  and  sanctity,  sought  to  have  His 
name  enrolled  among  the  gods  of  the  empire.  Pilate, 
his  procurator  in  Judea,  pronounced  the  sentence  of 
death  after  he  had  so  solemnly  declared  Christ's  inno- 
cence. Herod,  who  could  not  find  Him  guilty,  consid- 
ered Him  a  madman,  and  Philip  put  John  the  Baptist 
to  death.  Lastly,  Annas  and  Caiphas,  the  high- 
priests,  were  the  leaders  of  the  enemies  of  Christ, 
Whom  they  persecuted  even  to  the  cross. 

Q.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  words:  "The 
Lord  spoke  to  John  in  the  desert "? 

A.  God  had  prepared  John  for  the  great  office  of 
precursor  of  His  Christ.  Promised  by  the  message  of 
an  angel,  born  of  a  mother  sterile  and  advanced  in 
years,  sanctified  before  his  birth,  glorified  by  prodigies 
at  his  birth,  enriched  with  heavenly  virtues,  John 
lived  amid  the  horrors  of  the  desert  a  model  of  pen- 
ance, an  angel  rather  than  a  man.  In  the  fulness  of 
time  God  invested  him  with  his  mission  and  urged 
him  to  raise  his  voice,  preach  penance,  and  announce 
the  presence  of  the  Saviour. 

Q.   in  what  desert  did  St.  John  preach? 

A.  In  that  desert  which  lies  between  the  east  bank 
of  the  Jordan  and  the  desert  of  Arabia,  the  same 
through  which  the  Hebrews  passed  when,  after  the 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  ADVENT.  23 

captivity  of  Babylon,  they  returned  to  their  country 
to  set  about  rebuilding  the  temple. 

Q.  Why  is  it  said :  "  It  is  written  in  the  book  of 
the  words  of  Isaias  "? 

A.  Because  when  Isaias  praised  that  glorious  pas- 
sage of  the  Hebrews  his  words  had  a  twofold  meaning ; 
while  he  praised  the  liberation  of  the  people  from  the 
captivity  of  Babylon  he  also  predicted  the  liberation 
of  the  human  race  from  the  chains  of  sin  and  from 
the  slavery  of  Satan — a  liberation  that  was  one  day  to 
be  proclaimed  in  this  same  desert. 

Q.  What  were  the  words  of  Isaias? 

A.  They  were  these:  "The  voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  desert:  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make 
straight  in  the  wilderness  the  paths  of  our  God. 
Every  valley  shall  be  exalted  and  every  mountain 
and  hill  shall  be  made  low,  and  the  crooked  shall 
become  straight  and  the  rough  ways  plain,  and  all 
flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God." — Isaias  xl.  3. 

Q.   To  whom  did  Isaias  refer? 

A.  By  the  words:  "The  voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  desert,"  he  referred  to  John  the  Baptist,  who 
made  his  voice  heard  in  the  desert  solitude  between 
the  Jordan  and  Chaldea.  He  cried :  "  Prepare  ye 
the  way  of  the  Lord,"  that  is,  correct  your  ways,  do 
penance. 

Q.   And  how  are  the  other  words  to  be  explained? 

A.  Isaias,  in  foretelling  that  the  valleys  would  be 
filled  up,  the  mountains  made  low,  and  the  crooked 
ways  straight,  announced  that  the  grace  of  God  would 
remove  all  obstacles  that  make  our  salvation  difficult ; 
that  by  means  of  grace  the  weak  and  lowly  would  be 
filled  with  heavenly  strength  ;  that  the  proud  would  be 


24  CHRISTMAS    DAY. 

humbled ;  that  the  erring  would  return  to  the  straight 
path ;  that  our  affections  wauld  be  regulated  and  our 
passions  overcome.  The  history  and  annals  of  the 
Church  show  that  this  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled. 

Q.  Why  is  it  said  that  "  all  men  shall  see  the  salva- 
tion of  God  "  ? 

A.  Because  by  the  apostles  and  their  successors  the 
gospel  would  be  spread  throughout  the  world,  as  in 
fact  it  is. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  all  this? 

A.  First,  we  should  be  strengthened  in  our  holy 
faith  by  considering  that  everything  regarding  it  had 
been  prepared,  foretold,  and  completed  by  the  wisdom, 
power,  and  goodness  of  God.  We  should  also  learn 
from  the  words  of  St.  John  that  the  only  means  of 
participating  in  the  graces  of  the  nativity  of  Our  Lord 
is  to  do  sincere  penance  for  sins  committed,  reform 
our  ways,  and  return  to  God  with  all  the  affections  of 
our  heart. 

CHRISTMAS  DAY. 

Gospel :  St.  Luke  ii.  1-14. 

"  A  ND  it  came  to  pass  that  in  those  days  there  went 
ii  out  a  decree  from  C?esar  Angustus,  that  the  whole 
world  should  be  enrolled.  This  enrolling  was  first  made  by 
Cyrinus,  the  governor  of  Syria.  And  all  went  to  be  en- 
rolled, every  one  into  his  own  city.  And  Joseph  also 
went  up  from  Galilee  out  of  the  city  of  Nazareth  into 
Judea,  to  the  city  of  David,  which  is  called  Bethlehem, 
because  he  was  of  the  house  and  family  of  David,  to  be  en- 
rolled with  Mary,  his  espoused  wife,  who  was  with  child. 
And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  they  were  there,  her  days 
were  accomplished  that  she   should  be  delivered.     And 


CHRISTMAS    DAY.  25 

she  brought  forth  her  first-born  Son,  and  wrapped  Him  up 
in  swaddling-clothes,  and  laid  Him  in  a  manger,  because 
there  was  no  room  for  them  in  the  inn.  And  there  were 
in  the  same  country  shepherds  watching,  and  keeping 
the  night-watches  over  their  flock.  And  behold,  an  angel 
of  the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  brightness  of  God 
shone  round  about  them,  and  they  feared  with  a  great 
fear.  And  the  angel  said  to  them :  Fear  not ;  for  behold 
I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy,  that  shall  be  to  all 
the  people.  For  this  day  is  born  to  you  a  Saviour,  Who 
is  Christ  the  Lord,  in  the  city  of  David.  And  this  shall 
be  a  sign  unto  you :  You  shall  find  the  Infant  wrapped  in 
swaddling-clothes,  and  laid  in  a  manger.  And  suddenly 
there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
army,  praising  God,  and  saying:  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good  will." 

-  Q.  What  emperor  ordered  the  census  and  descrip- 
tion of  the  subjects  of  the  empire  to  be  taken? 

A.  Csesar  Octavianus  Augustus,  a  grand-nephew  of 
Julius  Caesar.  Having  overcome  his  rival,  Antony, 
at  the  battle  of  Actium,  Augustus  became  the  sole 
master  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  ruled  long  in  peace, 
glory,  and  unexampled  prosperity. 

Q.  Why  did  Augustus  order  a  census  to  be  taken  .^ 
A.  Finding  himself  at  peace  on  all  sides  and  his 
treasury  exhausted  by  the  preceding  wars,  he  wished 
not  only  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  and  ambition  by 
knowing  the  number  of  his  subjects,  but  also  to  re- 
plenish his  treasury  by  the  tribute  w^hich  each  one 
had  to  pay  on  that  occasion.  Whatever  may  have 
been  the  purpose  of  Augustus,  his  command  was  a 
w^ise  disposition  of  God,  that  the  Jew^s  as  well  as  the 
Gentiles  might  easily  and  with  certainty  know  that 
the    Messias,    according   to    the    predictions    of    the 


i6  CHRISTMAS     DAY. 

prophets,  had  been  born  in  Bethlehem   of  the  house 
and  family  of  David,  the  son  of  Jesse  the  Bethlemite. 

Q.  How  did  this  enrolment  enable  the  Jews  and 
Gentiles  to  know  of  the  birth  of  the  Messias? 

A.  It  must  be  remembered  that  about  this  time  a 
rumor  prevailed  in  Syria  and  Judea  that  a  king  was 
about  to  be  born  who  was  to  become  the  ruler  of  the 
world.  This  rumor  from  Asia  came  to  Rome  and  so 
alarmed  the  senate  that  it  decreed  that  nourishment 
should  be  denied  to  all  male  children  born  during  the 
consulate  of  Antony  and  Cicero.  This  decree,  how- 
ever, had  no  effect,  on  account  of  the  opposition  to  so 
barbarous  a  law.  Besides  this  rumor,  the  oracles  of 
the  sibyls  had  led  even  the  Gentiles  to  expect  a  great 
king,  the  son  of  an  immortal  king,  holy  and  victo- 
rious. The  Gentiles  being  influenced  by  these  rumors 
and  predictions,  and  the  empire  being  at  peace,  atten- 
tion was  more  easily  directed  to  the  slaughter  of  the 
children  ordered  by  Herod  for  the  purpose  of  destroy- 
ing the  new^-born  King  of  the  Jews.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  the  name  of  Jesus,  on  the  day  of  His 
circumcision,  was  inscribed  on  the  records  of  the  cen- 
sus which,  as  Tertullian  informs  us,  were  sent  to 
Rome  and  preserved  in  the  public  archives  there. 
This  would  necessarily  make  known  to  the  w^orld  the 
birth  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  appearance  of  the  ex- 
pected Messias.  It  was  then  proper,  says  the 
venerable  Bede,  that  the  King  of  peace  who  came  to 
reconcile  man  with  God  should  be  born  at  a  time 
when  peace  reigned  throughout  the  world. 

Q.  You  say:  "  According  to  the  predictions  of  the 
prophets."  Did  any  prophet  foretell  this  universal 
peace  at  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer? 


CHRISTMAS    DAY. 


27 


A.  The  peace  which  prevailed  at  the  birth  of  the 
promised  Messias  had  been  predicted  by  the  prophet 
Isaias  in  these  words :  "  And  they  shall  turn  their 
swords  into  plough-shares  and  their  lances  into  pruning 
hooks;  people  will  not  rise  against  people,  the  un- 
armed arm,  nor  will  they  wage  war."  The  profound 
peace  that  prevailed  in  the  days  of  Augustus  is  known 
to  all.     It  was  called  "the  Octavian  peace." 

Q.  Why  did  Joseph,  who  dwelt  in  Nazareth,  have 
to  go  to  Bethlehem  to  be  enrolled? 

A.  The  Hebrew  nation  was  divided  into  tribes  and 
the  tribes  were  divided  into  families.  The  decree  of 
the  emperor  required  the  census  to  be  taken  accord- 
ing to  tribes  and  families.  Hence  each  one  had  to 
inscribe  his  name  at  the  city  or  place  of  his  origin, 
where  his  ancestors  or  the  head  of  the  family  had 
lived.  Joseph  was  of  the  tribe  of  Juda  and  of  the 
house  of  David.  David,  the  son  of  Jesse,  was  born 
in  Bethlehem,  and  Joseph,  as  a  descendant  of  the  royal 
house  of  David,  had  to  go  to  that  town  to  have  his 
name  inscribed.  This  was  also  an  admirable  dispo- 
sition of  Divine  Providence,  that  the  whole  world 
might  know  that  Jesus  Christ  was  born  in  Bethlehem, 
that  he  descended  from  the  house  or  family  of  David 
and  from  the  tribe  of  Juda,  as  foretold  by  the  proph- 
ets, and  that,  therefore,  he  should  be  acknowledged 
as  the  true  and  expected  Messias. 

Q.   Had  Joseph  to  make  a  long  journey? 

A.  He  had  to  make  a  journey  of  over  seventy  miles. 
Leaving  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  he  passed  through  the 
tribes  of  Issachar,  Manasses,  between  the  Red  Sea  and 
the  Jordan,  Ephrem  and  Benjamin,  till  he  came  to 
the  tribe  of  Juda,  in  which  is  Bethlehem,  six  miles 


28  CHRISTMAS   DAY. 

from  Jerusalem.  We  learn  from  St.  Joseph  submis- 
sion and  obedience  to  the  laws  of  those  who  govern 
us,  and  whose  authority  comes  from  God. 

Q.  If  Mary  was  about  to  give  birth  to  her  divine 
Son,  why  did  she  accompany  St.  Joseph  on  so  long  a 
journey? 

A.  The  prophet,  Micheas,  had  foretold  that  the 
Messias  would  be  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Juda,  and  the 
word  of  God  pronounced  by  the  lips  of  that  inspired 
man  must  be  fully  verified.  The  word  "  Bethlehem" 
signifies  "the  House  of  Bread,"  and  it  was  proper 
that  from  that  house  should  come  He  Who  is  the 
heavenly  bread,  He  Who  nourishes  our  souls  with 
His  doctrines,  His  grace,  and  His  flesh. 

Q.  Why  did  the  holy  Mother  place  the  Child  in  a 
manger  ? 

A.  Perhaps  on  account  of  the  poverty  of  Joseph, 
or  perhaps  because  of  the  great  number  of  people  in 
the  small  town  of  Bethlehem,  the  holy  Virgin  could 
not  find  lodgings,  and  was  compelled  to  take  refuge 
in  a  stable,  and  having  no  better  place,  laid  the  In- 
fant in  the  manger  from  which  the  cattle  fed. 

Q.  Does  the  Evangelist  say  that  there  were  an  ox 
and  an  ass  at  this  manger? 

A.  On  this  as  on  some  other  things  he  is  silent. 
This  belief  is,  however,  so  common  that  the  Church 
applies  in  this  sense  the  words  of  the  prophet  Haba- 
cuc:  "  You  will  be  known  in  the  midst  of  animals," 
and  explains  in  this  sense  the  words  of  Isaias :  "  The 
ox  will  know  his  owner,  and  the  ass  will  know  the 
manger  of  his  Lord."  St.  Gregory  of  Nyssa  says  the 
ox  was  a  figure  of  the  Hebrew  people,  accustomed  to 
carry  the  yoke  of  the  law,  and  that  the  ass  was  a  fig- 


CHRISTMAS   DAY.  2^ 

ure  of  tlie  Gentiles  carrying  the  burden  of  their 
superstitions  and  sins.  As  the  ox  and  the  ass  rested 
in  the  stall  without  yoke  or  burden  and  partook  of 
food,  so  in  like  manner  the  Hebrews  as  well  as  the 
Gentiles  were  called  to  rest  in  the  presence  of  Christ; 
the  former  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  the  Old  Law,  the 
latter  to  free  themselves  from  the  burden  of  error 
and  sin,  and  both  to  partake,  in  Him,  of  the  food  of 
eternal  life. 

Q.  Why  were  the  shepherds  called  first  to  the 
manger? 

A.  The  shepherds  followed  the  custom  of  the  an- 
cient patriarchs  and  watched  while  others  slept ;  they 
were  poor  and  earned  their  bread  by  their  labor ;  they 
lived  like  the  primitive  Christians  who  watched  over 
themselves  while  others  slept  idly  in  the  pleasures  of 
the  world.  Those  who  are  poor  in  spirit  and  suffer 
w4th  patience  the  inconveniences  of  poverty  will  be 
preferred  by  Our  Lord,  and  be  called  by  Him  to  the 
happiness  of  heaven. 

Q.  What  lesson  should  we  learn  from  Jesus  in  the 
manger? 

A.  A  thousand  things,  but  principally  contempt 
for  riches  and  the  pomps  and  honors  of  the  world. 
Jesus,  the  Master  of  the  universe,  born  poor  and  in  a 
stable;  Jesus,  the  most  innocent  of  beings,  to  suffer 
at  His  very  birth;  Jesus,  the  adored  of  angels,  humil- 
iating Himself  in  a  manger  as  the  least  of  the  living. 
With  such  an  example  before  us,  who  would  prefer 
the  riches,  the  pleasures,  and  the  pomps  of  this  transi- 
tory world  to  the  eternal  joys  promised  by  the  Son 
of  God? 


30  SUNDAY    WITHIN    THE    OCTAVE    OF    CHRISTMAS. 

SUNDAY  WITHIN  THE  OCTANE  OF  CHRISTMAS. 

Gospel :  St.  Luke  ii.  33-40.  . 

"AND  His  father  and  mother  were  wondering  at  those 
i\  things  which  were  spoken  concerning  Him.  And 
Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  to  Mary  His  mother:  Be- 
hold this  Child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  for  the  resurrection 
of  many  in  Israel,  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  contra- 
dicted. And  thy  own  soul  a  sword  shall  pierce,  that  out  of 
many  hearts  thoughts  may  be  revealed.  And  there  was 
one  Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  of  the 
tribe  of  Aser:  she  was  far  advanced  in  years,  and  had 
lived  with  her  husband  seven  years  from  her  virginity. 
And  she  was  a  widow  until  four  score  and  four  years: 
who  departed  not  from  the  temple,  by  fasting  and  prayers 
serving  night  and  da}^  Now  she  at  the  same  hour  coming 
in,  confessed  to  the  Lord:  and  spoke  of  Him  to  all  that 
looked  for  the  redemption  of  Israel.  And  after  they  had 
performed  all  things  according  to  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
they  returned  into  Galilee,  to  their  city  of  Nazareth. 
And  the  Child  grew,  and  waxed  strong,  full  of  wisdom: 
and  the  grace  of  God  was  in  Him." 

Q.  What  are  we  told  in  particular  in  to-day's  Gospel  ? 

A.  We  are  told  of  the  predictions  of  Simeon  and 
Anna,  made  when  the  Child  Jesus  was  presented  in 
the  temple  in  compliance  with  the  law  which  re- 
quired this  presentation  of  every  first-born. 

Q.  Why  does  this  Gospel,  when  speaking  of  Joseph, 
call  him  father,  and  why  did  Joseph  and  Mary  wonder 
at  the  things  they  heard? 

A.  It  is  a  truth  of  faith  that  Jesus  Christ  as  man 
had  no  father.  He  was  born  of  Mary  ever  a  virgin, 
as  well  during  as  after  His  birth ;  but  as  Joseph  was 


SUNDAY     WITHIN    THE    OCTAVE    OF    CHRISTMAS.  3I 

reputed  by  all  who  were  ignorant  of  the  great  mys- 
tery to  be  the  natural  father  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  as, 
says  St.  Augustine,  he  had  over  Him  the  authority  of 
a  father,  the  Gospel  in  this  place  calls  him  father.  vSt. 
Joseph  and  Mary  wondered  at  the  things  they  heard 
from  Simeon  and  Anna,  for  it  was  indeed  surprising 
to  hear  those  persons  instructed  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
about  those  things  which  regarded  the  Divinity,  de- 
scribing the  character  and  future  life  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  Whom  did  Simeon  bless,  and  what  was  his 
blessing? 

A.  Simeon  recognized  in  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of 
the  Eternal  Father,  and  therefore  adored  and  glorified 
Him  and  awaited  His  blessing  and  the  application  of 
His  merits  and  grace.  He  then  did  not  bless  Christ; 
he  blessed  Joseph  and  Mary,  to  whom  he  foretold  the 
heavenly  favors  and  graces  relative  to  their  high 
office  and  to  the  arduous  duties  imposed  on  them. 

Q.  How  could  Simeon  say  that  Jesus  Christ  would 
be  the  occasion  of  the  fall  and  resurrection  of  many 
in  Israel? 

A.  These  words  of  Simeon  correspond  with  the 
words  in  which  Isaias  predicted  that  the  future  Mes- 
sias  would  be  the  cause  of  the  sanctification  of  some 
and  for  others  a  stumbling-block  and  an  occasion  of 
scandal.  The  fact  then  makes  the  prediction  evi- 
dent, since  it  is  seen  that  many,  believing  in  Christ, 
will  rise  from  the  death  of  sin  and  obtain  eternal  life, 
and  others  will  be  obstinate  in  their  blindness,  fall 
into  greater  sins,  and  cast  themselves  by  their  obsti- 
nacy of  heart  into  the  abyss  of  perdition. 

Q.  What  did  Simeon  mean  when  he  said  Christ  was 
set  "for  a  sign  that  shall  be  contradicted  "? 


32  SUNDAY    WITHIN    THE    OCTAVE    OF    CHRISTMAS. 

A.  According  to  the  best  interpreters,  among  whom 
are  Origen,  St.  Basil,  and  TertuUian,  the  word  sign 
means  the  same  as  prodigy  or  portent.  In  this  sense 
the  generation,  life, doctrines,  miracles,  passion,  death, 
and  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  are  a  prodigy  and  a 
portent  which  could  never  have  been  imagined  by  the 
human  mind.  This  prodigy  many  have  believed,  and 
many  have  contradicted  it  so  far  as  to  crucify  Him  and 
continue  to  persecute  Him,  ever  sitting  at  the  right 
hand  of  the  Father  in  heaven.  It  is  in  this  light  we 
should  consider  the  words  of  Simeon;  in  this  light 
His  prophecy  has  been  verified. 

Q.  What  is  this  sword  that  was  to  pierce  the  soul  of 
Mary? 

A.  The  sword  of  grief  and  sorrow,  by  which  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross  she  became  the  Queen  of  martyrs. 
Let  us  admire  here  the  strength  of  soul  and  resigna- 
tion to  the  will  of  heaven  shown  by  Mary,  who  was 
not  disturbed  by  so  sad  a  prophecy.  Let  us  learn 
from  her  to  accept  with  silent  resignation  the  tribu- 
lations which  it  may  please  God  to  permit  us  to  see 
approaching. 

Q,  Who  w^as  the  woman  who  "  departed  not  from 
the  temple"? 

A.  An  aged  woman  called  Anna,  the  daughter  of 
Phanuel,  a  man  of  renown  even  after  his  death.  She 
was  married  when  young ;  after  seven  years  her  hus- 
band died,  and  she  remained  a  widow,  leading  a  de- 
vout life  to  the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  in  the  high- 
est public  esteem. 

Q.   What  did  she  do  in  the  temple? 
A.   It   is   believed    that   she    dwelt   in    apartments 
adjoining  the  temple  and  instructed  and  directed  in 


SUNDAY    WITHIN    THE    OCTAVE    OF    CHRISTMAS.  33 

virtue  the  young  maidens  sent  there  by  their  pious 
parents,  directing  them  by  her  good  example,  her 
piety,  and  her  prayers.  Blessed  are  those  who  imi- 
tate her  example  in  directing  souls  to  God ! 

Q.  What  did  Anna  say  of  Christ,  and  to  whom  did 
she  speak? 

A.  She  said  that  the  Child  was  indeed  the  expected 
Messias,  the  Son  of  God,  clothed  in  our  flesh;  that  He 
came  to  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world  and  to  redeem 
the  human  race  from  the  slavery  of  Satan  and  from 
eternal  death.  All  this  she  told  to  those  pious  souls 
who,  resting  on  the  faith  of  the  patriarchs  and  trust- 
ing in  the  promises  of  the  prophets,  believed  and 
hoped  in  the  Christ  to  come,  and  awaited  from  Him 
the  redemption  of  afflicted  Israel. 

Q.  What  should  we  learn  from  this  account  for  our 
spiritual  benefit? 

A.  These  old  people,  Simeon  and  Anna,  led  a  holy 
life,  and  always  believed  in  and  hoped  for  Jesus  Christ 
to  come.  They  obtained  the  grace  to  see  Him  with 
their  own  eyes  and  to  press  Him  to  their  breasts,  and 
at  the  proper  time  were  enlightened  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  recognize  Him  and  announce  Him  to  others. 

Q.  And  what  do  you  conclude  from  all  this? 

A.  That  if  we  begin  from  childhood  to  lead  a  holy 
life  and  persevere,  as  they  did,  in  good  works,  we 
can,  like  them,  press  to  our  breasts  Jesus  Christ  in 
spirit  and  truth;  we  will  obtain  light,  and  be  able 
to  make  Him  known  to  many.  And  lastly,  at  the  end 
of  our  lives  we  shall  be  contented  and  resigned,  as 
Anna  and  Simeon  were,  and  be  able  to  say  with  them 
that  we  die  happy,  because  death  for  us  is  the  pas- 
sage to  eternal  beatitude. 
3 


34  NEW    YEAR  S    DAY. FEAST    OF    THE    CIRCUMCISION. 


NEIV  YEAR'S  DAY.  — THE  FEAST  OF    THE   CIR- 
CUMCISION. 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  ii.  21. 

"   A  ND    after  eight   days   were    accomplished   that  the 
iV     Child  should  be  circumcised,  His  name  was  called 
Jesus,   which   was    called  by   the   angel,   before    He  was 
conceived  in  the  womb." 

Q.  What  do  the  few  words  of  the  Gospel  of  to-day 
refer  to? 

A.  We  are  told  that  on  the  eighth  day  after  His 
birth  the  Infant  Jesus,  in  fulfilment  of  the  law  was 
circumcised,  and  that  He  was  called  Jesus,  as  had 
been  foretold  by  the  Archangel  Gabriel  when  he  an- 
nounced to  Mary  her  miraculous  conception. 

Q.  Was  Our  Lord  obliged  to  receive  circumcision? 

A.  He  was  not.  The  law  of  circumcision  was  made 
for  bondsmen  and  sinners,  and  as  Christ  was  the  Son 
of  God,  the  master  of  the  law,  holiness  itself,  He  was 
not  under  the  law.  We  should  admire  the  great  ex- 
ample of  humility  which  Jesus  Christ  here  gives  us. 
As  in  His  birth  He  appeared  to  us  as  man.  He  wished 
at  His  circumcision  to  appear  as  a  sinner. 

Q.  But  if  He  was  not  subject  to  the  law  of  circum- 
cision, why  subject  Himself  to  it? 

A.  St.  Thomas  gives  seven  reasons  for  this,  col- 
lected from  the  Fathers  and  Doctors  of  the  Church. 
First,  He  willed  to  subject  Himself  to  circumcision  to 
prepare  a  proof  against  the  heresies  of  the  Mani- 
chians,  the  Apollonarists,  and  the  Valentinians.  The 
Manichians  taught  that  the  body  of  Christ  was  an 


NEW    YEAR  S    DAY. FEAST    OF    THE    CIRCUMCISION.  35 

apparition,  not  a  real,  material  body;  the  ApoUonar- 
ists  held  that  His  body  was  of  the  same  substance  as 
the  Divinity — consubstantial  with  it;  the  Valentin- 
ians  taught  that  the  Divine  Word  brought  His  body 
from  heaven.  The  act  of  circumcision  proved  that 
the  body  of  Our  Lord  was  a  real,  material  body,  sub- 
ject to  suffering  and  of  the  same  material  as  ours,  and 
thus  the  teachings  of  these  heretics  were  disproved. 

Q.  What  are  the  other  reasons  given  by  vSt. 
Thomas  ? 

A.  Besides  that  just  given,  Christ  desired  to  be 
circumcised,  first,  to  approve  the  rite  of  circumcision 
instituted  by  God  in  the  covenant  with  Abraham ; 
second,  to  prove  to  the  world  that  He  was  descended 
from  that  patriarch  to  whom  circumcision  was  exclu- 
sively commanded  and  from  whom  should  descend  the 
Saviour;  third,  to  take  from  the  Jews  every  pretext  to 
reject  Him  as  a  stranger;  fourth,  to  teach  us  by  His 
example  obedience  to  the  laws;  fifth,  not  to  reject 
that  remedy  which  until  then  was  used  to  cleanse 
from  sin;  and  lastly,  to  free  us  from  that  legal  bur- 
den by  substituting  Himself  for  us  all. 

Q.  Why  was  the  Child  called  Jesus? 

A.  Because  this  name  came  from  God  by  the  mouth 
of  the  Archangel  Gabriel,  who  w^as  sent  to  the  most 
holy  Virgin  and  St.  Joseph;  and  also  because  the 
name  Jesus  was  the  only  one  proper  to  Him  Who  had 
come  to  save  the  human  race  from  eternal  death,  to 
reconcile  men  to  God  and  open  to  them  the  gates  of 
eternal  life.     Jcsjts  signifies  saviour. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  in  praise  of  this  name? 
A.   It  is  the   most  precious  balm  to  the    Christian 
believer.     St.  Bernard  calls  it  the  oil  that  illuminates, 


^6         NEW    year's   day. — FEAST    OF    THE    CIRCUMCISION. 

that  soothes  and  cures  every  wound.  The  name  of 
Jesus  illuminates  the  whole  world  as  with  oil ;  as  oil  it 
has  nourished  numbers  and  will  always  nourish  pious 
souls ;  and  as  oil  it  heals  all  spiritual  plagues,  so  that, 
in  the  Avords  of  St.  Peter,  in  this  name  alone  we  can 
hope  to  obtain  eternal  life. 

Q.  How  can  it  be  said  that  the  name  of  Jesus 
illuminates  the  whole  world? 

A.  Before  the  name  of  Jesus  was  announced  to  the 
world  the  whole  human  race  was  in  universal  dark- 
ness. At  its  announcement  the  world  learned  to 
know  God,  to  know  the  heavenly  truths  hitherto  un- 
known to  human  philosophy,  and  to  know  the  way 
to  lead  a  just  and  holy  life  before  God  and  men. 

Q.  How  can  it  be  said  that  the  name  of  Jesus  nour- 
ishes the  just  soul? 

A.  Nothing  that  is  earthly  can  satisfy  the  soul  of 
man.  No  matter  how  great  his  possessions,  he  can 
never  be  contented.  But  the  just  soul  finds  all  in 
Jesus  Christ.  The  intellect,  the  will,  and  the  heart 
find  in  this  name  satiety,  sweetness,  and  happiness. 
Be  holy  and  you  will  experience  the  force,  the  value, 
and  the  truth  of  these  words. 

Q.   How  is  the  name  of  Jesus  the  balm  of  salvation? 

A.  As  the  lame  man  in  the  porch  of  the  temple 
was  cured  by  that  name,  so  the  soul  that  invokes  it 
will  be  healed ;  the  sinner,  the  weak,  the  doubting, 
and  the  afflicted,  if  they  invoke  the  name  of  Jesus 
with  faith  and  love,  will  find  relief,  and  pass  from 
death  to  life. 

Q.  What  do  we  learn  from  the  Child  Jesus  on  this 
occasion  ? 

A.   If  Jesus  while  yet  so  young  wished  to  shed  His 


FEAST    OF    THE    EPIPHANY.  37 

precious  blood  for  love  of  us,  we  from  our  youth 
should  consecrate  to  Him  our  sufferings,  our  afflictions, 
and  our  souls.  If  He,  though  not  obliged  to  do  so, 
subjected  Himself  to  this  most  painful  law,  we  also 
should  make  it  a  duty  to  obey  willingly  His  Church 
and  our  spiritual  and  temporal  superiors.  And  as  His 
name  is  so  great  and  powerful,  we  should  learn  to 
reverence  it  and  to  invoke  it  with  confidence,  that  we 
may  be  enlightened,  nourished,  and  freed  from  all 
our  spiritual  miseries. 


FEAST  OF   THE  EPIPHANY. 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  ii.  1-12. 

-"TTIHEN  Jesus  therefore  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of 
VV  Juda,  in  the  days  of  King  Herod,  behold,  there 
came  wise  men  from  the  East  to  Jerusalem,  saying,  "Where 
is  He  that  is  born  King  of  the  Jews?  For  we  have  seen 
His  star  in  the  East,  and  we  are  come  to  adore  Him.  And 
King  Herod,  hearing  this,  was  troubled,  and  all  Jerusalem 
with  him.  And  assembling  together  all  the  chief  priests 
and  the  scribes  of  the  people,  he  inquired  of  them  where 
Christ  should  be  born.  Butthey  said  tohim:  In  Bethlehem 
of  Juda:  for  so  it  is  written  by  the  prophet :  And  thou, 
Bethlehem,  the  land  of  Juda,  art  not  the  least  among  the 
princes  of  Juda:  for  out  of  thee  shall  come  forth  the 
captain  that  shall  rule  My  people  Israel.  Then  Herod 
privately  calling  the  wise  men  learned  diligently  of  them 
the  time  of  the  star  which  appeared  to  them,  and  sending 
them  into  Bethlehem,  said:  Go  and  diligently  inquire 
after  the  Child:  and  when  you  have  found  Him,  bring 
me  word  again,  that  I  also  may  come  and  adore  Him, 
Who,  having  heard  the  king,  went  their  way:  and 
behold,   the  star  which  they  had  seen  in  the  East  went 


$S  FEAST    OF    THE    EPIPHANY^ 

before  them^  until  it  came  and  stood  over  where  the 
Child  was.  And  seeing  the  star  they  rejoiced  with  ex- 
ceeding- great  joy.  And  entering  into  the  house,  they 
found  the  Child  with  Mary  His  Mother;  and  falling  down 
they  adored  Him  :  and  opening  their  treasures,  they  offered 
Him  gifts,  gold,  frankincense,  and  myrrh.  And  having 
received  an  answer  in  sleep  that  they  should  not  return 
to  Herod,  they  went  back  another  way  into  their  own 
country." 

Q.  Who  was  this  Herod  under  whose  government 
Christ  was  born  ? 

A.  He  was  the  oldest  son  of  Antipater,  the  Idumian 
from  the  city  of  Ascalon,  who  was  appointed  king  of 
the  Jews  by  the  Roman  Senate  at  the  recommenda- 
tion of  Mark  Antony.  He  was  the  father  of  Herod 
Antipas,  v/ho  ordered  the  beheading  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  and  grandfather  of  Herod  Agrippa,  who 
caused  St.  James  to  be  put  to  death  and  the  same  who 
imprisoned  St.  Peter.  St.  Matthew  informs  us  that 
Herod  ruled  in  the  time  of  the  birth  of  Christ,  fulfil- 
ling the  prophecy  of  Jacob,  who  foretold  the  coming 
of  Christ  when  the  sceptre  had  passed  into  the  hands 
of  strangers.  This  prophecy  was  verified  when  the 
Roman  Senate  appointed  Herod,  of  Idumian  origin, 
king  of  the  Jews. 

Q.  Who  were  these  Magi  of  whom  the  Evangelist 
speaks  ? 

A.  They  were  men  distinguished  for  their  knowl- 
edge, particularly  of  astronomy,  and  according  to 
some  Fathers  and  Doctors  they  were  petty  kings  of 
the  East  who  came,  as  was  foretold  in  the  seventy- 
first  psalm,  from  Arabia  and  from  Saba  to  offer  their 
gifts  and  adoration  to  the  Messias. 


FEAST    UK     IHE    EPIPHANY.  39 

Q.   In  what  way  were  they  invited? 

A.  They  saw  the  star  which  according  to  prophetic 
prediction  was  to  appear  when  the  promised  Saviour 
was  born,  and  by  the  interior  operation  of  grace  they 
recognized  it  as  the  sign  of  His  birth  and  hastened  to 
follow  its  course.  According  to  the  opinion  of  the 
Fathers,  they  were  the  first  of  the  Gentiles  who  were 
called  to  enter  into  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Q.  What  is  worthy  of  remark  in  the  conduct  of  the 
Magi? 

A.  We  must  admire  their  promptness  in  corre- 
sponding to  the  invitation  of  grace.  Immediately  on 
the  appearance  of  the  star  they,  giving  no  heed  to 
the  suggestions  of  human  prudence,  the  difficulties  of 
the  way,  and  the  uncertainties  of  success,  left  their 
homes  and  set  out  in  search  of  the  Child ;  and  while 
thus  seeking  in  obedience  to  the  voice  of  heaven,  they 
teach  us  with  what  disregard  of  human  interests,  with 
what  solicitude  and  courage,  we  should  always  follow 
divine  inspiration  and  the  call  of  heaven. 

Q.   But  why  were  the  Magi  directed  to  Jerusalem  ? 

A.  We  must  here  remember  that  a  prophet  had 
called  Jerusalem  the  queen  of  the  world  and  the  joy 
of  all  the  earth.  In  Jerusalem  alone  was  the  temple 
dedicated  to  the  true  God ;  to  Jerusalem  came  wor- 
shippers from  all  parts  of  the  world;  there  were  pre- 
served the  holy  books,  and  there  were  found  the  great 
teachers  of  the  law.  For  this  reason  the  Magi  directed 
their  steps  to  the  capital  of  the  nation,  reasonably 
hoping  to  find  there  a  most  certain  guide  who  could 
conduct  them  to  the  desired  place.  We  learn  from 
this  to  have  recourse  to  those  who  by  reason  of  their 
sacred  character,  office,  learning,  and  prudence  may 


40  FEAST    OF    THE    EPIPHANY. 

direct  our  steps  when  we  feel  impelled  by  some  inte- 
rior call  of  heaven. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  the  question  of  the 
Magi  when  in  Jerusalem  in  reference  to  the  new-born 
King  of  the  Jews? 

A.  Their  questionings  left  without  excuse  the  peo- 
ple of  Jerusalem  who  did  not  recognize  and  strive  to 
know  the  Saviour.  The  coming  of  the  Magi  and 
their  seeking  for  the  new-born  King  of  the  Jews 
should  have  attracted  the  attention  of  all  in  the  city, 
and  the  answers  which  the  Doctors  of  the  Law,  after 
consulting  the  books  of  the  prophets,  gave  to  them  and 
to  Herod,  by  whom  they  were  consulted,  should  have 
attracted  the  attention  of  every  citizen  to  what  had 
happened  in  full  conformity  with  the  expectations  of 
their  fathers,  with  the  desires  of  the  people,  and  with 
the  circumstances  in  which  all  the  prophecies  culmi- 
nated. It  would  be  unfortunate  for  us  if  we,  like  the 
Jews,  should  attribute  to  accident  or  fate  that  which 
is  God's  work. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  say  of  the  promise  of  Herod? 

A.  The  cries  of  the  children  brutally  slaughtered 
by  his  command  give  the  answer.  His  zealous  devo- 
tion to  the  new-born  King  of  the  Jews  was  hypocriti- 
cally assumed  in  order  to  deceive  the  Magi  and  get  the 
divine  Infant  into  his  power  that  he  might  put  Him  to 
death.  His  deceit  failing  of  its  object,  he  commanded 
all  the  male  infants  to  be  put  to  death  that  in  the 
general  slaughter  the  infant  Jesus  might  be  included. 
Alas !  not  all  those  who  make  a  show  of  zeal  for  the 
truth,  justice,  and  glory  of  the  Eternal  Father  are 
lovers  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  the  Magi  who,  after  depart- 


FEAST    OF    THE    EPIPHANY.  41 

ing  from  Jerusalem,  again  saw  the  star  which  had  led 
them  from  the  East? 

A.  We  should  comfort  ourselves  with  the  reflection 
that  when,  like  the  Magi,  we  sincerely  seek  to  know 
the  divine  will,  and  seek  in  the  proper  manner  by 
consulting  learned  and  enlightened  teachers,  we  will 
be  led  to  the  desired  end.  God  is  faithful.  Let  us 
submit  ourselves  to  His  guidance  and  He  will  send 
us  His  light  to  direct  us. 

Q.  How  did  the  Magi  recognize  the  infant  Mes- 
sias  Whom  they  sought? 

A.  From  the  words  of  the  Sacred  Text  it  is  to  be 
inferred  that  the  star  stopped  over  the  place  where 
the  Child  Jesus  reposed,  and  this  wonderful  event 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Magi  and  caused  them 
to  enter.  It  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  the  impression 
the  presence  of  the  God-man  made  on  them  and  the 
grace  it  wrought  in  them.  He  Who  when  grown  up 
knew  how  to  call  His  apostles  after  Him,  could  as  a 
child  make  Himself  known  to  the  Magi,  and  make 
them  His  worshippers. 

Q.  What  did  the  Magi  offer  Him,  and  with  what 
intention  ? 

A.  The  Gospel  tells  us  they  offered  Him  gold, 
frankincense,  and  myrrh.  By  the  gold,  says  St. 
Gregory,  they  recognized  Him  as  king,  by  the  in- 
cense they  acknowledged  Him  as  God,  and  by  the 
myrrh  they  indicated  His  human  nature.  They,  says 
St.  Leo,  proclaimed  by  the  nature  of  their  gifts  the 
faith  that  was  in  their  hearts,  and  with  full  knowl- 
edge they  venerated  in  His  person  two  natures,  the 
divine  and  human  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel  ? 


42  FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

A.  We  should  learn  to  recognize  in  the  Magi  the 
first-fruits  of  our  vocation  to  the  faith,  and  to  thank 
God  that  we  have  been  made  Christians.  •  We  should 
learn  also  to  follow  the  divine  call  and  to  offer  to 
Jesus  Christ  the  gold  of  charity,  the  incense  of  prayer, 
and  the  myrrh  of  holy  mortification  and  Christian 
penance. 

FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER   EPIPHANY. 
Gospel :  St.  Luke  ii.  42-52. 

"  A  ND  when  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old,  they  went  up 
ii  to  Jerusalem,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  feast. 
And  having  fulfilled  the  days,  when  they  returned,  the 
Child  Jesus  remained  in  Jerusalem,  and  His  parents  knew 
it  not.  And  thinking  that  He  was  in  the  compan)^  they 
came  a  day's  journey  and  sought  Him  among  their  kins- 
folk and  acquaintance;  and^  not  finding  Him,  they  re- 
turned into  Jerusalem  seeking  Him.  And  it  came  to 
pass  that  after  three  days  they  found  Him  in  the  temple, 
sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors,  hearing  them  and 
asking  questions.  And  all  that  heard  Him  were  aston- 
ished at  His  wisdom  and  His  answers.  And  seeing  Him, 
they  wondered.  And  His  Mother  said  to  Him :  Son,  why 
hast  thou  done  so  to  us:  Behold,  Thy  father  and  I  have 
sought  Thee  sorrowing.  And  He  said  to  them:  How  is 
it  that  you  sought  Me?  Did  you  not  know  that  I  must  be 
about  My  Father's  business?  And  they  understood  not 
the  word  that  He  spoke  unto  them.  And  He  went  down 
with  them,  and  came  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject  to 
them.  And  His  Mother  kept  all  these  words  in  her  heart. 
And  Jesus  advanced  in  wisdom,  and  age,  and  grace  with 
God  and  men." 

Q.   What  does  St.  Luke  tell  us  here? 

A.   He  tells  us  that  Our  Lord  at  the  age  of  twelve 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  43 

years  went  with  His  holy  Mother  and  St.  Joseph  to 
Jerusalem  to  be  present  at  the  festival,  which  was 
solemnized  for  seven  days,  in  the  Temple,  and  the 
feast  of  the  Pasch  or  Passover ;  that  these  days  being 
over,  He  was  lost  from  their  sight  and  remained  in 
Jerusalem  in  the  Temple  while  they  set  out  for  their 
home  believing  that  He  was  in  the  company  of  His 
relatives. 

Q.  Were  Mary  and  Joseph  inattentive  or  negligent 
on  this  occasion? 

A.  Certainly  not.  But  God  had  thus  disposed  it, 
and  the  greatest  human  vigilance  cannot  avail  against 
the  dispositions  of  divine  Providence. 

Q.   What  did  they  do  after  having  lost  Jesus? 
.    A.  They  were  in  great  affliction,  and  hastened  to 
seek  for  Him  among  their  friends  and  relatives,  and 
not  finding  Him,  they  returned  to  Jerusalem,  hoping 
to  find  Him  there. 

Q.  What  should  the  just  learn  from  the  afflictions 
of  -N.ary  and  Joseph? 

A.  They  should  learn  that  even  souls  most  dear  to 
God  are  not  exempt  from  trials  and  tribulations,  and 
that  God  sometimes  withdraws  Himself  from  them 
in  despondency,  fear,  and  temptations  for  the  sole 
purpose  of  increasing  their  virtue,  their  merit,  and 
their  glory  in  heaven. 

Q.  And  what  may  sinners  learn  from  these  holy 
persons? 

A.  They  should  learn  what  ought  to  be  the  senti- 
ments of  their  own  hearts  when  they  have  lost  God 
by  their  sins ;  how  eagerly  they  should  seek  to  find 
Him    by    repentance,    and    that    they    should    have 


44  FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

recourse  to  the  friends  of  God,  the  saints,  to  obtain 
the  graces  necessary  for  a  true  conversion. 

Q.  What  does  Jesus  teach  us  by  the-  reply  to  His 
Mother? 

A.  He  teaches  us  that  when  there  is  a  question  of 
the  glory  of  God,  the  interests  of  religion,  or  the 
duties  of  conscience,  we  should  disregard  all  human 
considerations. 

Q.  Where  did  Jesus  Christ  go  after  leaving  Jeru- 
salem on  this  occasion? 

A.  He  went  with  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  Joseph 
to  the  village  of  Nazareth  in  the  tribe  of  Zabulon, 
where  they  dwelt. 

Q.   How  far  is  Nazareth  from  Jerusalem? 

A.  About  seventy  miles.  From  this  we  may  know 
the  inconveniences  these  holy  persons  underwent  in 
order  to  be  present  at  the  solemnities  in  Jerusalem. 
In  view  of  this,  how  culpable  are  those  who  for  slight 
cause,  or  no  cause  at  all,  absent  themselves  from 
divine  service  on  Sundays  and  holydays. 

Q.  What  did  Jesus  Christ  do  in  the  house  of 
Joseph? 

A.  He  lived  poor  and  unknown  in  submission 
and  obedience  to  His  foster-father  and  to  Mary  His 
Mother,  and  the  Scriptures  tell  us  that  He  grew  in 
wisdom  and  grace  before  God  and  man. 

Q.  What  should  we  learn  from  this? 

A.  We  should  learn  that  if  Jesus  Christ,  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  did  not  refuse  to  obe}^  Mary 
and  Joseph,  we  should  not  refuse  to  obey  humbly  and 
voluntarily  our  parents,  superiors,  and  all  who  are 
charged  with  our  care  and  education.  What  a  conso- 
lation to  think  when  obeying  that  we  imitate  Jesus 


SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  45 

Christ,  Who  by  His  submission  to  Mary  and  Joseph 
sanctified  and  made  obedience  meritorious. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  more  to  be  said  on  this 
Gospel  ? 

A.  Yes.  It  is  stated  that  Jesus  increased  in  age, 
in  wisdom,  and  in  grace.  From  this  we  should  learn 
that  we  also  as  we  advance  in  years  should  increase 
in  the  knowledge  of  religion,  in  Christian  virtue,  and 
in  the  observance  of  the  duties  of  our  state  in  life. 
As  Jesus  increased  in  grace  before  men  and  in  merit 
before  God,  so  we  as  we  grow  older  should  make 
ourselves  beloved  of  men  by  our  charity,  and  beloved 
of  God  by  abounding  in  merit,  by  the  exercises  of 
piety,  and  above  all  by  frequenting  the  holy  sacra- 
ments. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER   EPIPHANY. 

Gospel:  St.  John  ii.  i-ii. 

AT  that  time :  "  There  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee : 
and  the  Mother  of  Jesus  was  there.  And  Jesus  also 
was  invited,  and  His  disciples,  to  the  marriage.  And  the 
wine  failing,  the  Mother  of  Jesus  saith  to  Him:  They 
have  no  wine.  And  Jesus  saith  to  her:  Woman,  what  is 
that  to  Me  and  to  thee?  My  hour  is  not  yet  come.  His 
Mother  saith  to  the  waiters :  Whatsoever  He  shall  say  to 
you,  do  ye.  Now  there  were  set  there  six  water-pots  of 
stone,  according  to  the  manner  of  the  purifying  of  the 
Jews,  containing  two  or  three  measures  apiece.  Jesus 
saith  to  them :  Fill  the  water-pots  with  water.  And  they 
filled  them  up  to  the  brim.  x\nd  Jesus  saith  to  them : 
Draw  out  now  and  carry  to  the  chief  steward  of  the  feast. 
And  they  carried  it.  And  when  the  chief  steward  had 
tasted  the  water  made  wine,  and  knew  not  whence  it  was, 


46  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

but  the  waiters  knew  who  had  drawn  the  water:  the  chief 
steward  calleth  the  bridegroom,  and  saith  to  him :  Every 
man  at  first  setteth  forth  good  wine,  and  when  men  have 
well  drank,  then  that  which  is  worse:  but' thou  hast  kept 
the  good  wine  until  now.  This  beginning  of  miracles 
did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  He  manifested  His  glory, 
and  His  disciples  believed  in  Him." 

Q.  Is  it  not  strange  that  Jesus  and  Mary  were 
invited  to  a  wedding-feast? 

A.  No.  Because  it  is  said  that  the  husband  was 
Simon,  the  son  of  Cleophas  the  brother  of  St.  Joseph 
and  therefore  nephew  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and 
cousin,  according  to  law%  of  Jesus  Christ.  Besides,  at 
that  feast  there  were  no  improprieties  or  over-indul- 
gence, which  so  often  dishonors  the  tables  of  many 
Christians,  to  be  feared.  And  lastly,  Jesus  Christ, 
as  St.  John  Chrysostom  tells  us,  wished  to  give  to  the 
world  a  useful  lesson. 

Q.   What  was  this  lesson? 

A.  When  at  the  wedding  Jesus  took  occasion  to 
manifest  His  divine  power  by  which  those  present 
were  led  to  recognize  in  Him  the  expected  Messias. 
Besides,  He  prepared  a  condemnation  of  those  here- 
tics who  taught  that  matrimony  was  the  work  of  the 
devil.  And  lastly.  He  wished  to  teach  us  that  we 
should  not  refuse  to  contribute,  when  we  are  able,  to 
the  innocent  enjoyment  of  our  friends,  for  in  this 
way  the  bond  of  peace  and  Christian  friendship  is 
preserved. 

Q.  Why  did  Mary  take  such  great  interest  when 
vshe  knew  that  there  was  no  more  wine? 

A.  St.  Bernard  tells  us  she  is  truly  the  Mother  of 
mercy.     She  foresaw  and  felt  the  shame   and   con- 


SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  47 

fusion  of  the  poor  husband  and  wife  when  the  wine 
would  give  out  before  the  feast  was  over.  In  her 
goodness,  tenderness,  and  charity  she  begged  Jesus 
to  provide  it  and  relieve  them  from  humiliation  by  a 
miracle.  Oh,  if  all  Christians  had  equal  solicitude 
to  spare  their  neighbors  shame  and  confusion !  But 
too  frequently  the  confusion  of  others  is  a  triumph 
and  a  joy  to  many  egotists  who  are  always  talking 
about  charity  without  knowing  what  it  is. 

Q.  Why  then  did  Jesus  reply  that  His  hour  had 
not  yet  come  ? 

A.  Up  to  this  time,  says  St.  John  Chrysostom,  only 
the  Blessed  Virgin  had  noticed  the  failure  of  the  wine, 
and  if  He  had  immediately  worked  the  miracle  re- 
quested of  Him,  she  alone  and  no  others  would  have 
known  and  attested  it.  It  was  not  yet  time  for  such 
a  great  work.  It  was  necessary  to  wait  till  all  were 
aware  that  the  wine  had  given  out,  so  that  all  would 
be  witnesses  of  the  miracle  and  recognize  the  omnip- 
otence and  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  perhaps 
for  this  reason  also  that  ^lary  said  to  the  servants : 
Do  whatsoever  He  commands  you. 

Q.  Could  not  Jesus  have  produced  the  wine  in  some 
other  manner? 

A.  No  doubt  He  could  have  done  so,  but  it  pleased 
Him,  says  St.  Chrysostom,  to  make  use  of  the  work  of 
the  servants  that  they  might  see  the  prodigy  wrought 
and  testify  to  the  truth  of  the  miracle  by  which  the 
divinity  of  our  Redeemer  was  made  manifest. 

Q.   Is  there  anything  to  observe  about  this  miracle? 

A.  We  should  observe  that  Jesus  Christ  by  this 
miracle  prepared  the  way  for  that  still  greater  miracle 
which  He  was  to  work  in  the  institution  of  the  Most 


48  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

Holy  Sacrament,  by  showing  that  as  He  was  able  to 
convert  insipid  water  into  generous  wine  He  could  also 
convert  bread  and  wine  into  His  own  body  and  blood. 

Q.  Did  Jesus  wish  to  teach  us  anything  else  by 
this  miracle? 

A.  He  wished  to  teach  us  that  as  water  serves  in 
the  order  of  nature  to  purify  the  body,  so  His  precious 
blood,  symbolized  by  the  wine,  sanctifies  the  soul  in 
the  order  of  grace. 

Q.  Did  not  the  water  also  symbolize  the  human 
race? 

A.  Yes,  as  the  water  was  transformed  by  the  power 
of  Jesus  Christ  into  delicious  wine,  so  the  human  race, 
devoid  of  merit  and  valueless  in  itself,  became  sweet- 
ened and  precious  before  God  by  the  grace,  merits, 
and  blood  of  Our  Saviour. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  married  couple 
in  this  day's  Gospel? 

A.  We  should  learn  to  conduct  ourselves  at  our 
tables  and  nuptials  as  if  Jesus  were  invited  and  pres- 
ent by  His  grace.  Jesus  Christ  will  bless  the  nuptials 
of  those  who  are  led  by  a  right  motive  and  not  by 
caprice,  interest,  and  passion;  and  He  will  bless  our 
tables  when  sobriety,  modesty,  and  the  fear  of  God 
are  present. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  intervention  of 
Mary? 

A.  If  the  Blessed  Virgin  felt  such  compassion  for 
that  poor  couple  in  a  temporal  matter,  how  much  may 
we  not  hope  from  her  when  the  object  is  spiritual  and 
in  favor  of  our  souls.  If  unasked  she  showed  such 
an  interest  in  them  as  to  ask  her  Son  to  work  a  mira- 
cle, what  will  she  not  do  for  us  when  we  confide  in 


THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  49 

her  tenderness  and  invoke  her  by  the  name  of 
mother? 

Q.  Is  there  anything  further  to  learn  ? 

A.  As  Jesus  immediately  complied  with  the  request 
of  Mary,  how  promptly  will  He  not  grant  us  every 
grace  when  His  most  Blessed  Mother  speaks  in  our 
behalf? 

Q.  In  what  way  can  we  interest  Mary  in  our  favor? 

A.  By  doing  faithfully  all  that  Jesus  Christ  com- 
mands us  to  do ;  then  by  imitating  her  holy  virtues, 
particularly  her  humility,  mercy,  modesty,  charity 
towards  our  neighbor  and  her  zeal  for  the  glory  of 
God,  and  finally  by  having  for  her  a  sincere  and  filial 
devotion,  and  by  invoking  her  frequently  as  a  tender 
mother. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER   EPIPHANY, 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  viii.  1-13. 

AT  that  time:  "When  Jesus  was  come  down  from  the 
mountain,  great  multitudes  followed  Him.  And  be- 
hold a  leper  came  and  adored  Him,  saying:  Lord,  if  Thou 
wilt.  Thou  canst  make  me  clean.  And  Jesus  stretching 
forth  His  hand,  touched  him,  saying :  I  will.  Be  thou  made 
clean.  And  forthwith  his  leprosy  was  cleansed.  And  Jesus 
saith  to  him :  See  thou  tell  no  man :  but  go,  show  thyself 
to  the  priest,  and  offer  the  gift  which  Moses  commanded 
for  a  testimony  unto  them.  And  when  He  had  entered 
into  Capharnaum  there  came  to  Him  a  centurion,  beseech- 
ing Him,  and  saying:  Lord,  my  ser^^ant  lieth  at  home  sick 
of  the  palsy,  and  is  grievously  tormented.  And  Jesus 
saith  to  him :  I  will  come  and  heal  him.  And  the  cen- 
turion making  answer  said:  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that 
thou  shouldst  enter  under  my  roof:  but  only  say  the 
4 


5©  THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

word,  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed.  For  I  also  am  a 
man  subject  to  authority,  having  under  me  soldiers;  and 
I  say  to  this  man  Go,  and  he  goeth ;  and  to  another  Come, 
and  he  cometh ;  and  to  my  servant  Do  this,  and  he  doeth 
it.  And  Jesus  hearing  this,  marvelled,  and  said  to  them 
that  followed  Him:  Amen  I  say  to  you,  I  have  not  found 
so  great  faith  in  Israel.  And  I  say  imto  you  that  many 
shall  come  from  the  East  and  the  West,  and  shall  sit  down 
with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven:  but  the  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out 
into  the  exterior  darkness:  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.  And  Jesus  said  to  the  centurion: 
Go,  and  as  thou  hast  believed  so  be  it  done  to  thee.  And 
the  servant  was  healed  at  the  same  hour." 

Q.   Of  whom  was  this  leper  a  figure  ? 

A.  This  man  who  was  afflicted  with  the  leprosy  and 
healed  by  the  Redeemer  w^as  an  image  of  man  cor- 
rupted by  sin  and  by  means  of  penance  cured  by  the 
powerful  grace  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  How  do  you  explain  the  prostration  which  he 
made  and  his  words:  Lord,  if  thou, wilt  Thou  canst 
make  me  clean? 

A.  This  man  by  his  adoration  teaches  us  with 
what  humility,  faith,  and  abasement  the  truly  contrite 
sinner  should  present  himself  before  God;  and  by 
his  words  he  gives  us  an  example  of  the  great  con- 
fidence and  submission  to  the  divine  will  with  which 
penitents  should  implore  the  healing  of  their  souls 
and  beg  to  be  freed  from  temptations. 

Q.  Can  it  be  said  that  God  does  with  sinners  as  He 
did  with  the  leper? 

A.  He  does  so  in  a  spiritual  manner.  God  reaches 
forth  His  hand  and  touches  the  sinner  when  in  His 


THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  51 

mercy  He  arouses  him,  calls  him,  and  softens  his 
heart,  however  hardened  by  sin.  He  says  "  I  will" 
when  by  His  powerful  grace  He  enables  him  to  break 
his  chains.  He  says  "  Be  thou  healed"  when  He  ap- 
plies the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ  to  his  soul  by  the 
ministry  of  the  priest,  and  frees  him  from  the  leprosy 
of  sin. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  command  the  leper  not  to  make 
this  miracle  known  ? 

A.  This  is  an  important  lesson  to  the  ministers  of 
th'e  sanctuary  and  to  all  Christians,  that  they  should, 
according  to  their  ability,  do  all  the  good  possible  in 
the  Church  and  for  the  salvation  of  their  fellow-men 
without  glorifying  themselves  and  without  making  it 
known  in  order  to  gain  praise  or  reward. 

-  Q.  What  is  to  be  said  about  the  command  to  show 
himself  to  the  priest  and  to  offer  the  gifts  prescribed 
by  the  law? 

A.  It  was  prescribed  in  the  law  that  lepers  when 
cured  should  present  themselves  to  the  priests  that 
they  might  be  declared  free  from  legal  uncleanness, 
and  on  such  occasions  they  were  required  to  make 
an  offering.  If  Our  Lord  had  dispensed  the  leper 
from  this  custom  He  would  have  without  reason  dis- 
paraged the  ^losaic  Law  and  caused  surprise  and 
scandal.  On  this  account  He  commanded  the  leper 
to  comply  with  the  law  and  at  the  same  time  taught 
all  those  who  assist  sinners  that  they  should  not  de- 
part from  the  ordinary  discipline,  that  they  should 
avoid  novelty,  and  oblige  the  penitent  to  conform  to 
all  laws  regarding  reparation  of  scandal  and  injury 
to  the  interests  or  reputation  of  others.  Penitents 
should  submit  with  docility,  as  the  leper  did,  to  the 


52  THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

commands  of  the  ministers  of  God,  who  should  insist 
on  the  observance  of  the  law,  however  onerous  it 
may  be. 

Q.  Who  was  the  centurion  who  presented  himself 
to  Our  Lord? 

A.  He  was  a  Roman  soldier,  a  captain  of  a  hun- 
dred men  who  garrisoned  the  town  of  Capharnaum. 
There  are  some  who  think  that  this  was  the  same 
Cornelius  who,  warned  by  an  angel,  as  we  read  in 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  sent  for  St.  Peter  to  instruct 
him  in  the  faith  and  baptize  him ;  and  also  that  he 
might  have  been  the  father  of  that  other  centurion 
who  was  in  command  at  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  and 
who  exclaimed:  Truly,  this  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God. 

Q.  Of  what  was  the  paralysis  of  the  centurion's 
servant  an  image  ? 

A.  It  was  an  image  of  the  state  of  a  soul  deprived 
of  the  grace  of  God.  Those  who  saw  that  servant 
saw  an  unhappy  man,  trembling  all  over,  unable  to 
direct  his  steps  or  perform  any  act,  subject  to  fits, 
miserable  and  dying.  Now,  the  soul  without  the 
grace  of  God  is  in  a  like  condition.  It  cannot  direct 
its  steps  on  account  of  the  shocks  of  the  passions ;  it 
can  do  nothing  good;  it  yields  to  temptation,  is  de- 
prived of  true  comfort,  and  is  ever  suspended  over 
the  sepulchre  of  eternal  death.  Oh,  let  us  pray,  and 
pray  continually  to  God  that  we  may  never  be  de- 
prived of  the  help  of  His  grace. 

Q.   What  may  we  learn  from  this  centurion? 

A.  He  is  to  be  admired  for  his  charity  to  his  ser- 
vant and  for  his  great  humility  in  confessing  his 
unworthiness  to  receive  Jesus  Christ  into  his  house. 
Employers  should  learn  of  him  that   charity  which 


THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  53 

they  should  have  for  those  under  them.  And  all 
Christians  should  learn  to  recognize  themselves  as 
unworthy  of  the  favors  which  God  is  pleased  to  confer 
upon  them  through  His  merciful  kindness  and  not 
through  any  merit  of  their  own.  Lastly,  let  us  reflect 
that  the  Church  takes  so  great  account  of  the  words 
of  the  centurion  that  she  deems  them  worthy  to  be 
repeated  three  times  when  we  are  about  to  receive 
Jesus  Christ  into  our  hearts  in  the  holy  Communion. 

Q.  And  what  are  we  to  learn  from  the  words  of 
Christ,  "  I  will  come  and  heal  him"? 

A.  These  words  should  inspire  us  with  consoling 
hope  and  convince  us  that  God  is  prompt  in  granting 
His  mercy  when  we  ask  His  assistance  with  the  faith, 
confidence,  and  humility  of  the  centurion. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  show  surprise  at  the  faith  of 
the  centurion? 

A.  Our  Lord  knew  well  the  excellent  dispositions 
of  the  centurion  before  he  spoke,  but  He  wished  to 
manifest  His  surprise  for  His  own  wise  purposes. 
He  desired  to  show  the  mercy  of  His  Eternal  Father, 
Who  gave  the  grace  of  such  great  faith  and  humility 
to  a  man  educated  in  the  army  and  among  the  Gen- 
tiles. He  wished  to  call  the  attention  of  the  Jews  to 
their  blindness  in  being  so  slow  to  recognize  that 
Messias  Whom,  by  reason  of  the  prophecies  and  of 
the  miracles  worked  by  Him,  they  should  have  been 
the  first  to  recognize.  He  wished  to  give  a  reproof 
to  those  Christians  who  with  the  many  means  of  sal- 
vation at  their  disposal  belie  their  faith  by  their 
works  and  place  themselves  out  of  the  way  of  salva- 
tion. 

Q.  What  did  Jesus  intend  when  He  said  that  many 


54  FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY 

would  come  from  the  East  and  from  the  West  to  re- 
pose in  the  bosom  of  Abraham,  and  that  the  children 
of  the  kingdom  ^^ould  be  cast  out  and  condemned  to 
darkness? 

A.  By  these  words  He  foretold  that  the  Gentiles 
would  embrace  the  faith  and  enter  into  the  Church, 
while  the  Jews,  the  first  called,  would,  through  their 
incredulity  and  obstinacy,  be  excluded  and  con- 
demned. He  shows  us  also  that  though  living  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Church  we  are  not  certain  of  dying  there- 
in, for  if  we  fail  in  Christian  perseverance  we  shall 
be  excluded  from  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Lastly,  He 
has  warned  us  to  be  as  persevering  in  the  faith  as 
Abraham,  as  obedient  unto  death  as  Isaac,  and  as  full 
of  confidence  as  Jacob,  in  the  hope  of  the  happiness 
of  heaven. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   EPIPHANY, 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  viii.  23-27. 

AT  that  time:  "  When  He  entered  into  the  boat  His  dis- 
ciples followed  Him:  And  behold  a  great  tempest 
arose  in  the  sea,  so  that  the  ship  was  covered  with  waves, 
but  He  was  asleep.  And  His  disciples  came  to  Him,  and 
awaked  Him,  saying:  Lord,  save  us,  we  perish.  And 
Jesus  saith  to  them:  Why  are  you  fearful,  O  ye  of  little 
faith?  Then  rising  up,  He  commanded  the  winds  and  the 
sea,  and  there  came  a  great  calm.  But  the  men  won- 
dered, saying:  What  manner  of  man  is  this,  for  the  winds 
and  the  sea  obey  Him?" 

Q.   What  does  this  ship  into  which  Christ  entered 
represent? 

A.   It  represents  holy  Church  placed  in  the  midst 


FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  55 

of  the  vicissitudes  of  the  world  like  a  ship  in  mid- 
ocean.  Jesus  Christ,  on  account  of  His  promise, 
is  ever  found  with  His  disciples  in  the  Catholic 
Church  as  He  was  with  His  apostles  in  the  ship  on  the 
Sea  of  Galilee.  This  should  be  a  great  consolation 
to  us.  He  who  keeps  his  mind  fixed  on  this  great 
truth  sees  what  takes  place  in  the  Church  in  a  very 
different  light  from  that  in  which  it  is  seen  by  the 
outside  world. 

Q.   Does  this  ship  represent  only  the  Church  ? 

A.  It  also  symbolizes  a  human  soul  in  which  Jesus 
Christ  is  present  by  His  grace.  This  soul  is  like  a 
ship  amid  the  angry  waves ;  every  passion  threatens 
a  storm,  every  pleasure  a  rock,  and  the  whole  course 
of  life  is  a  sea  full  of  dangers  through  which  it  must 
pass.  If  this  soul  can  keep  Jesus  Christ  with  it,  the 
winds  will  cease,  the  tempest  abate,  the  dangers 
vanish,  tranquillity  prevail,  and  it  will  come  safe, 
laden  with  merit,  to  the  harbor  of  Eternal  Life. 

Q.  What  do  the  winds  and  tempest  signify  in  refer- 
ence to  the  just  soul? 

A.  To  the  just  soul  the  winds  and  tempest  are 
temptations,  fears,  anxieties,  and  tribulations  of  every 
kind,  which  God  frequently  permits  souls  dear  to 
Him  to  undergo.  The  Antonys,  the  Hilarious,  the 
Teresas,  the  Magdalens  di  Pazzi,  and  the  Chantals 
have  experienced  this  great  truth  to  their  greater 
glory  and  for  the  consolation  of  all  Christians. 

Q.  What  means  the  sleep  of  Christ? 

A.  It  means  that  God,  in  His  inscrutable  ways, 
does  not  always  stop  in  their  beginning  the  storms 
that  rise  up  against  the  Church  or  allay  the  afflictions 
of  just  souls,  but  permits  rather  that  they  increase 


56  FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

and  become  furious  wliile  He  seems  to  sleep,  to  show 
us  the  necessity  of  having  recourse  to  Him,  and  that 
we  may  win,  by  our  own  strength  assisted  by  His 
grace,  a  more  glorious  crown  in  heaven.  He  permits 
the  storm  to  acquire  its  full  strength  because  His 
power  is  more  manifest  when  at  the  proper  time  He 
raises  His  omnipotent  hand  and  produces  the  un- 
looked-for calm. 

Q.  What  do  we  learn  from  the  apostles  who  has- 
tened to  awake  Christ? 

A.  We  learn  that  in  public  as  well  as  private  dan- 
gers, in  calamities  of  Church  or  State  as  well  as  in 
dangers  to  our  souls,  we  should  invoke  Him  with  con- 
fidence as  the  apostles  did,  and  with  hearts  full  of 
love  and  free  from  the  stain  of  sin, 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  Christ  reprove  the  apostles  for 
awaking  Him? 

A.  He  did  not  reprove  them  for  awaking  Him,  but 
because  they  were  wanting  in  faith  and  feared  that 
they  were  about  to  perish,  although  He  was  so  near. 
Those  who  fear  should  remember  His  words  and 
learn  to  confide  in  that  God  Who  sometimes  appears 
to  sleep,  but  Who  is  never  far  away,  that  God  Who 
protects  them  with  the  tenderness  of  a  father  and 
leads  them  that  they  may  not  fall. 

Q.   Is  there  nothing  more  to  be  observed? 

A.  Jesus  Christ,  notwithstanding  the  little  faith  of 
the  apostles,  immediately  calmed  the  storm;  and 
while  admiring  His  infinite  goodness  we  see  how  a 
prayer,  imperfect  in  the  beginning,  can  lead  us  to 
the  treasures  of  divine  mercy.  Let  every  sinner 
have  recourse  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  if  not  immediately, 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  57 

he  will  at  least  in  a  short  time  see  the  tempest  cease 
and  find  peace. 

Q.  What  means  "after  the  storm  there  came  a 
great  calm"? 

A.  From  this  we  learn  that  God,  the  inexhaustible 
fountain  of  goodness,  does  not  leave  His  children 
long  in  afHiction,  and  that  after  the  storm  He  brings 
the  calm ;  when  we  are  in  affliction  we  must  expect 
consolation.  Remain  near  Jesus,  as  the  apostles  did, 
and  the  storms  of  this  life  will  make  all  the  more 
sweet  the  tranquillity  which  we  hope  for  in  Paradise. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   EPIPHANY. 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xiii.  24-30. 

AT  that  time:  Jesus  spoke  this  parable  to  the  multitude, 
saying:  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  to  a  man 
that  sowed  good  seed  in  his  field ;  but  while  men  were  asleep 
his  enemy  came  and  oversowed  cockle  among  the  wheat, 
and  went  his  way.  And  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up, 
and  had  brought  forth  fruit,  then  appeared  also  the  cockle. 
And  the  servants  of  the  good  man  of  the  house  coming 
said  to  him:  Sir,  didst  thou  not  sow  good  seed  in  thy 
field?  Whence  then  hath  it  cockle?  And  he  said  to 
them:  An  enemy  hath  done  this.  And  the  servants 
said  to  him :  Wilt  thou  that  we  go  and  gather  it  up?  And 
he  said:  No:  lest  perhaps  gathering  up  the  cockle  you 
root  up  the  wheat  also  together  with  it.  Suffer  both  to 
grow  until  the  harvest,  and  in  the  time  of  the  harvest  I 
will  say  to  the  reapers :  Gather  up  first  the  cockle,  and 
bind  it  into  bundles  to  burn,  but  the  wheat  gather  ye 
into  my  barn." 

Q.  Who  is  this  man  who  sowed  the  good  seed? 
A.  Jesus  Christ,   in  the  continuation  of  the  dis- 


58  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

course  explaining  the  parable  to  the  apostles,  tells  us 
that  the  sower  is  the  Son  of  God,  that  is,  Himself. 

Q.   What  is  the  field  in  which  the  good  s,eed  is  sown  ? 

A.  It  is  the  whole  world,  in  which,  on  every  side, 
was  sown  by  the  apostles  and  their  successors  the 
seed  of  the  gospel,  that  is,  the  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ, 

Q.   What  is  meant  by  the  good  seed? 

A.  At  first  view  it  might  be  said  that  the  good 
seed  is  the  word  of  God,  but  according  to  the  explana- 
tion of  the  Divine  Master  we  are  to  understand  by 
the  good  seed  the  effect  rather  than  the  cause,  and 
therefore  the  good  seed  signifies  the  effect  of  the 
word  of  God,  that  is,  the  good  Christians  produced 
by  the  preaching  of  the  apostles  and  their  successors, 
the  bishops,  assisted  by  the  priests,  who  teach  the 
people  in  their  name. 

Q.  What  does  the  cockle  represent? 

A.  It  represents  sinners,  heretics,  teachers  of  per- 
verse doctrines,  in  a  word — all  bad  Christians. 

Q.  Who  is  the  enemy  that  sowed  the  cockle? 

A.  The  enemy  that  sowed  the  cockle  is  the  devil, 
who  incites  sinners  to  evil,  and  all  those  who  make 
themselves  ministers  of  iniquity  by  scandals  and  per- 
verse teachings. 

Q.  Who  are  meant  by  those  that  by  sleeping  gave 
opportunity  to  the  enemy  to  sow  cockle? 

A.  Some  think  their  sleep  signifies  the  death  of 
the  apostles;  but  in  those  who  by  sleeping  gave 
opportunity  to  the  devil  to  sow  the  cockle  we  can  recog- 
nize those  ministers  of  the  sanctuary  who,  negligent 
in  the  performance  of  their  duties  and  wanting  in 
vigilance  and  zeal,  permit  evil  customs  and  ignorance 
to  destroy  the  vineyard  of  Christ. 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  59 

Q.   Do  those  who  sleep  represent  these  only? 

A.  Those  who  sleep  and  give  the  devil  time  to  sow 
cockle  represent  also  those  parents,  heads  of  commu- 
nities, and  teachers  who,  devoid  of  the  necessary 
solicitude  and  proper  attention,  leave  those  under 
them  exposed  to  danger,  and  permit  evil  customs  and 
disorders  to  be  introduced  into  the  home,  the  schools, 
and  other  places  of  education. 

Q.  Who  are  those  servants  who  point  out  and  wish 
to  uproot  the  cockle  ? 

A.  Some  think  these  servants  represent  those  over- 
zealous  persons  who  wish  to  tolerate  neither  sinners 
nor  defects  in  the  world.  Others  see  in  these  ser- 
vants the  angels  of  the  Lord,  ministers  of  His  wrath, 
instruments  of  His  vengeance,  death,  public  calam- 
ities, and  all  those  disasters  that  would  in  a  short 
'time  exterminate  sinners  if  God  in  His  infinite  mercy 
did  not  prevent  them. 

Q.  Does  God,  according  to  this  Gospel,  spare  the 
sinner  for  the  sake  of  the  just? 

A.  Pestilence,  war,  and  misfortunes  of  every  kind 
spare  princes  and  nations  on  account  of  the  just 
souls  who  would  suffer  thereby.  Thus  the  dissolute 
Sodom  and  Gomorrha  would  have  been  spared  if  only 
ten  just  men,  like  Lot,  could  have  been  found  in  them, 
as  God  promised  to  Abraham. 

Q.  But  why  does  God  permit  sinners  to  continue 
in  the  world,  or  the  mysterious  cockle  to  increase 
together  with  the  good  wheat? 

A.  God  does  this,  says  St.  Augustine,  to  give  time 
to  sinners  to  be  converted,  and  also  to  give  occasion 
to  the  just  to  exercise  patience  and  to  render  them- 
selves perfect  in  the  midst  of  those  who  persecute 


6o  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY. 

them    and   who   by   their   scandals   tempt   them    to 
sin. 

Q.  What  is  the  harvest  time  in  which  the  cockle  will 
be  separated  from  the  good  wheat? 

A.  The  harvest  time  is  the  last  day  of  the  world,  in 
which  good  Christians  will  be  separated  from  the 
wicked;  when  the  just  will  be  placed  on  the  right 
hand  and  the  impious  on  the  left  of  Jesus  Christ, 
Who  will  be  the  Judge. 

Q.  Who  will  make  this  separation? 

A.  The  angels  of  the  Lord  will  make  it,  as  Christ 
has  already  told  us.  Immediately  on  the  resurrection 
of  the  flesh  the  angels  will  distinguish  the  just  from 
the  impious  and  separate  them. 

Q.  And  will  the  angels  favor  no  one? 

A.  They  will  favor  no  one.  Relationship,  nobility, 
honors,  titles,  talents,  learning,  dress,  sword,  mitre, 
sceptre  will  on  that  day  protect  no  one.  The  just 
will  be  on  the  right  hand,  the  wicked  on  the  left,  and 
every  one  will  be  judged  according  to  his  works. 

Q.  What  is  the  barn  into  which  the  wheat  will  be 
gathered,  and  what  the  place  into  which  the  cockle 
will  be  cast? 

A.  The  wheat,  that  is,  the  just,  will  be  gathered 
together  in  the  paradise  of  God,  and  the  cockle,  that 
is,  the  wicked,  will  be  cast  into  hell  for  all  eternity. 

Q.   What  should  we  learn  from  this  parable? 

A.  We  should  learn  three  things.  First,  to  be 
vigilant  that  the  devil  may  not  sow  cockle  in  our 
hearts  or  in  the  hearts  of  those  under  our  care. 
Second,  to  console  and  sympathize  with  poor  sinners. 
Third,  to  endeavor  to  make  ourselves  wheat  for 
paradise  and  not  cockle  for  eternal  fire. 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  6 1 

SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EPIPHANY, 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xiii.  31-35. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  spoke  this  parable  to  the  multitudes, 
saying:  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  grain  of 
mustard  seed,  which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his  field ; 
which  is  the  least  indeed  of  all  seeds,  but  when  it  is 
grown  up  it  is  greater  than  all  herbs,  and  becometh  a 
tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come  and  dwell  in  the 
branches  thereof.  Another  parable  He  spoke  to  them: 
The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  leaven,  which  a  woman 
took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  until  the  whole 
was  leavened.  All  these  things  Jesus  spoke  in  parables 
to  the  multitudes:  and  without  parables  He  did  not  speak 
to  them :  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by 
the  proph^,  saying:  I  will  open  My  mouth  in  parables, 
I  will  utter  things  hidden  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world." 

Q.   What  is  meant  by  the  grain  of  mustard  seed? 
A.  St.  Hilary  tells  us  that  by  the  grain  of  mustard 
seed  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself  is  meant. 

Q.   How  is  it  a  figure  of  Christ? 

A.   By  its  littleness,  its  increase,  and  its  virtues. 

Q.   How  is  it  a  figure  of  Christ  by  its  littleness? 

A.  Though  the  grain  of  mustard  seed  is  capable  of 
great  development,  before  it  is  put  in  the  ground  it 
is  among  the  smallest  of  seeds.  So  Jesus  Christ, 
though  He  is  great,  strong,  and  glorious  by  His 
divinity,  and  though  He  is  to  receive  the  adoration 
of  the  whole  world  on  account  of  His  glorious  resurrec- 
tion, yet  He  belittled,  humiliated,  annihilated  Himself 
so  as  to  appear  weak,  afflicted  of  God,  a  worm  and  not 


62  SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER   EPIPHANY. 

a  man,  the  opprobrium  of  the  Gentiles,  and  a  stum- 
bling-block to  the  multitude. 

Q.  How  is  Jesus  Christ  represented  bythe  increase 
of  the  mustard  seed  ? 

A.  As  the  little  seed,  in  its  development,  rises 
from  the  earth,  grows  large  and  strong,  and  affords 
shelter  and  refuge  to  the  beasts  and  birds,  so  Jesus 
Christ,  rising  and  going  forth  from  the  sepulchre, 
triumphed  in  the  midst  of  human  generations  and 
received  under  the  shadow  of  His  cross  not  only 
the  ignorant  and  the  lowly  but  also  the  wise  and  the 
great ;  not  only  sinners  who  came  to  take  refuge  at 
His  feet,  but  also  the  just,  who,  flying  as  the  eagle  on 
high,  find  in  Him  an  asylum,  strength  and  nourish- 
ment, in  the  difficult  way  of  evangelical  perfection. 

Q.  How  is  Jesus  Christ  represented  by  the  virtues 
of  the  mustard  seed?  ^ 

A.  This  seed  is  regarded  as  a  vigorous  excitant, 
an  agreeable  condiment,  and  an  efficacious  medicine. 
In  like  manner,  Jesus  Christ  by  His  doctrines  aroused 
the  people  from  the  lethargy  of  their  passions;  by 
His  example  He  made  sweet  and  light  all  duties  how- 
ever painful  or  difficult,  and  by  His  grace  He  healed 
all  our  infirmities  and  preserved  the  health  and  life 
of  our  souls. 

Q.  Is  not  the  Church  also  symbolized  by  the  mus- 
tard seed? 

A.  Yes,  the  Church  is  also  indicated  by  the  words 
of  Christ.  The  Church  in  the  beginning  was  com- 
posed of  but  few  persons,  the  apostles,  the  disciples, 
and  five  hundred  others  who,  as  St.  Peter  tells  us,  had 
seen  the  Redeemer  after  His  resurrection.  But  this 
Church,  so  small  at  its  birth,  spread  with  wonderful 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EPIPHANY.  63 

rapidity   throughout    the   whole    world,    and    in   her 
bosom  men  found  comfort,  repose,  and  consolation. 

Q.  And  what  means  the  parable  of  the  woman  who 
hid  the  leaven  in  the  three  measures  of  meal  till  all 
was  fermented? 

A.  According  to  St.  Augustine,  the  woman  is  a 
figure  of  the  Church,  the  leaven  is  the  preaching  of 
the  apostles,  and  the  fermentation  is  that  change  of 
mind,  will,  and  affections  which  is  produced  in  men 
by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 

Q.  Can  we  not  also  learn  something  from  this 
parable  in  regard  to  morals? 

A.  Yes.  The  grain  of  mustard,  which  develops 
into  a  plant  and  gives  refuge  and  shelter  to  bird  and 
beast,  teaches  us  how  great  an  increase  a  little  virtue 
is  capable  of  when  kept  and  nourished  in  the  heart  by 
a  faithful  compliance  with  grace.  And  the  little 
leaven,  which  sours  the  meal,  shows  the  ruin  which 
one  single  vice  may  produce  in  the  body  and  mind  of 
youth  when  not  repressed  in  the  beginning. 

Q.  But  why  did  Jesus  Christ  speak  to  the  multi- 
tude in  parables? 

A.  This  way  of  speaking  practised  by  Our  Re- 
deemer affords  a  singular  proof  of  His  divine  mission. 
The  Royal  Prophet  had  said,  in  the  seventy-seventh 
psalm,  that  the  coming  Christ  would  speak  in  para- 
bles, and  by  them  reveal  truths  hidden  from  the  eyes 
of  the  world ;  and  therefore  the  Divine  Teacher,  even 
in  this  particular,  gave  a  sign  by  which  He  could  be 
recognized  when  He  taught  the  multitude  in  parables. 

Q.   In  view  of  all  this,  what  should  we  do? 

A.  In  the  first  place,  we  should  understand  that  the 
triumphs  of  the  gospel  are  not  the  work  of  chance  or 


64  SEPTUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

of  men,  but  of  God,  "Who  prepared  for  it  and  accom- 
plished  it.  In  the  second  place,  we  should  rejoice 
that  we  are  now  no  longer  instructed  by  shadows  and 
figures  not  always  easily  understood,  but  in  a  manner 
clear  and  evident.  In  conclusion,  we  should  see  to  it 
that  the  germs  of  faith  should  grow  vigorously  in  our 
intellect,  engraft  themselves  on  our  will,  bloom  in 
the  affections  of  our  heart,  and  bring  forth  the  fruit 
of  good  works. 


SEPTUAGESIMA   SUXDAY. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  XX.  1-16. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples  this  parable: 
"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  householder, 
who  went  early  in  the  morning  to  hire  laborers  into  his 
vineyard.  And  having  agreed  with  the  laborers  for  a 
penny  a  day,  he  sent  them  into  his  vineyard.  And  going 
out  about  the  third  hour  he  saw  others  standing  in  the 
market-place  idle,  and  he  said  to  them:  Go  you  also 
into  my  vineyard,  and  I  will  give  you  what  shall  be  just. 
And  they  went  their  way.  And  again  he  went  out  about 
the  sixth  and  the  ninth  hour,  and  did  in  like  manner. 
But  about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out  and  found 
others  standing,  and  he  saith  to  them :  Why  stand  you 
here  all  the  day  idle?  They  say  to  him;  Because  no 
man  hath  hired  us.  He  saith  to  them :  Go  you  also  into 
my  vineyard.  And  when  evening  was  come  the  lord  of 
the  vineyard  saith  to  his  steward :  Call  the  laborers  and 
pay  them  their  hire,  beginning  from  the  last  even  to 
the  first.  W^hen  therefore  they  were  come  that  came  about 
the  eleventh  hour  they  received  every  man  a  penny.  But 
when  the  first  also  came,  they  thought  that  they  should 
receive  more:  and  they  also  received  every  man  a  penny. 
And  receiving  it  they  murmured   against  the  master  of 


SEPTUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  65 

the  house,  saying:  These  last  have  worked  but  one  hour, 
and  thou  hast  made  them  equal  to  us,  that  have  borne 
the  burden  of  the  day  and  the  heats.  But  he  answering 
said  to  one  of  them :  Friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong :  didst 
thou  not  agree  with  me  for  a  penny?  Take  what  is  thine, 
and  go  thy  way :  I  will  also  give  to  this  last  even  as  to 
thee.  Or,  is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will? 
Is  thy  eye  evil  because  I  am  good?  So  shall  the  last  be 
first,  and  the  first,  last;  for  many  are  called,  but  few 
chosen." 

Q.  What  of  this  householder,  his  vineyard,  and  the 
wages  ? 

A.  In  the  householder  we  recognize  God ;  in  the 
vineyard  the  Fathers  recognize  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ;  and  in  the  wages  they  see  the  glories  of 
paradise  promised  as  a  reward  to  all  those  who  have 
worked  in  the  divine  service,  that  is,  in  the  profes- 
sion and  practice  of  the  gospel. 

Q.   How  do  you  explain  the  parable? 

A.  It  can  be  explained  in  two  ways.  It  may  be 
applied  to  men  in  general  or  to  each  Christian  in 
particular. 

Q.   How  is  it  applied  to  all  in  general? 

A.  The  early  morning  signifies  the  time  from 
Adam  to  Noe;  the  third  hour  represents  the  time 
from  Abraham  to  Moses;  the  ninth  hour  the  time 
from  Moses  to  Christ;  the  eleventh  hour  the  time 
from  Christ  to  the  end  of  the  world ;  and  the  evening 
is  the  great  day  of  judgment. 

Q.   If  it  be  thus,  how  is  it  explained? 

A.  From  the  beginning  of  the  world,  that  is,  the 
morning,  the  third,  sixth,  and  ninth  hours,  God,  by 
the  voice  and  example  of  the  patriarchs,  by  the 
5 


66  SEPTUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

written  law,  and  by  the  words  of  the  prophets,  called 
men,  particularly  the  Hebrews,  to  believe  in  Christ 
and  hope  for  His  coming,  and  to  unite  themselves  to 
Him  by  holiness  of  life.  At  the  eleventh  hour,  by  the 
preaching  of  Christ  and  of  His  apostles  and  their 
successors,  God  has  called,  calls,  and  will  continue  to 
call  men  to  enter  into  the  Catholic  Church  and  become 
living  members  of  the  mystical  body  of  Jesus  Christ 
and  to  serve  Him  faithfully  by  observing  His  holy 
laws.  In  the  evening,  that  is,  on  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, all  those  who  will  have  belonged  to  the  Church 
of  Christ,  who  will  have  entered  the  Church — the 
vineyard — in  the  early  morning,  at  the  third,  sixth, 
ninth,  or  eleventh  hour,  will  receive  without  distinc- 
tion, in  reward  of  their  labors,  eternal  life  and  the 
glory  of  Paradise. 

Q.  How  is  the  parable  applied  to  each  Christian 
in  particular? 

A.  The  early  morning  is  childhood ;  the  third  hour, 
youth ;  the  sixth  hour,  manhood ;  the  ninth  hour,  old 
age ;  the  eleventh  hour,  the  last  days  of  life,  the  last 
sickness.  By  baptism,  by  the  first  development  of 
reason,  and  by  Christian  instruction,  we  are  called  to 
work  in  the  evangelical  vineyard  by  faith  and  holiness 
of  life.  Many  are  called  in  youth,  many  in  manhood, 
many  in  old  age,  and  many  at  the  end  of  life,  after 
having  gone  in  the  way  of  sin  and  wandered  in  every 
field  of  iniquity.  All  those  who  have  served  God  will 
receive  as  a  reward  the  glories  of  paradise. 

Q.  But  what  service  can  we  give  God  at  the  last 
hour? 

A.  A  sincere  repentance,  an  act  of  perfect  charity, 
a  lively  desire,  a  firm  purpose  of  serving  faithfully  if 


SEPTUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  67 

life  be  prolonged,  will  be  accepted  by  a  merciful  God 
as  service  sufficient  to  merit  eternal  reward  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  It  was  in  this  way  that  the  peni- 
tent thief  heard  the  answer  to  his  prayer:  This  day 
thou  shalt  be  with  Me  in  paradise. 

Q.  Can  we  then  delay  to  work  for  God  till  the  last 
hour? 

A.  No.  To  do  this  would  be  foolish  and  impious. 
God  has  no  need  of  us,  no  obligation  to  callus.  He 
may  call  us  to-day ;  He  may  not  call  us  to-morrow ; 
and  he  who  answers  not  His  voice  one  day  exposes 
himself  to  being  rejected  another  day. 

Q.  Were  the  complaints  of  those  laborers  who 
worked  all  day  reasonable? 

A.  No.  If  the  householder  wished  to  give  to  the 
last  comers  for  the  work  of  one  hour  as  much  as  he 
had  contracted  to  give  to  those  who  had  worked  all 
day,  he  was  free  to  do  so,  because  in  so  doing  he 
did  not  diminish  the  wages  due  to  them.  He  was 
just  to  them,  while  he  was  generous  to  the  late 
comers. 

Q.  Are  all  then  equally  rewarded  by  God — those 
who  are  converted  in  their  old  age,  or  in  their  last 
hour,  as  those  who  have  served  God  all  their  lives  ? 

A.  We  cannot  say  so.  God  rewards  generously  as 
well  those  who  are  converted  late  as  those  who 
labored  from  the  first  hour,  but  we  must  consider  that 
the  service  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  is  not  meas- 
ured solely  by  duration  of  time,  but  also  by  fervor, 
fidelity,  right  intention,  and,  above  all,  by  the  inten- 
sity of  the  love  with  which  it  is  done.  On  this 
account  a  true  penitent  can  surpass  in  a  short  time 
those  who  have  been   more  or  less   inconstant   and 


68  SEPTUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

tepid  during  their  whole  life.  Observe  also  that  in 
heaven  there  are  different  crowns,  and  that  while  all 
enjoy  the  happiness  of  paradise,  those  who  have 
served  with  greater  merit  are  rewarded'  by  God  with 
a  greater  degree  of  glory. 

Q.  What  is  meant  by  the  words :  "  The  first  shall 
be  last  and  the  last  shall  be  first  "? 

A.  The  Jews  were  first  called  to  enter  the  Church 
of  Christ,  but  on  account  of  their  obstinacy  they  were 
excluded  and  are  the  last.  The  Gentiles,  on  the  other 
hand,  were  the  last  called  to  the  faith,  but  were  the 
first  to  embrace  it  and  enter  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ.  We  who  are  called  to  serve  God  from  our 
infancy  should  be  careful  not  to  be  the  last  in  our  old 
age. 

Q.  How  do  you  explain  these  words :  "  Many  are 
called,  but  few  are  chosen  "? 

A.  Because  there  are  many  who  by  virtue  of  bap- 
tism enter  into  the  vineyard  to  labor  and  gain  eternal 
reward,  but  there  are  few  who  observe  faithfully 
the  holy  law  and  who  serve  God  with  perseverance 
until  death.  Only  the  innocent  and  the  truly  penitent 
who  have  persevered  to  the  last  will  be  chosen.  We 
must  remember  that  without  the  grace  of  God  we  can 
do  nothing  toward  our  own  salvation.  Let  us  live 
in  fear  and  humility;  trust  ourselves  to  the  divine 
mercy ;  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  and  the  terrible 
sentence  will  have  no  reference  to  us. 


3EXAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  69 

SEXAGESIMA   SUNDAY, 

Gospel :  St.  Luke  viii.  4-15. 

AT  that  time:  "When  a  very  great  multitude  was 
gathered  together,  and  hastened  out  of  the  cities 
unto  Him,  He  spoke  by  a  similitude:  A  sower  went  out 
to  sow  his  seed:  and,  as  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the  way- 
side and  it  was  trodden  down,  and  the  fowls  of  the  air  de- 
voured it.  And  other  some  fell  upon  a  rock :  and  as  soon 
as  it  was  sprung  up,  it  withered  away,  because  it  had  no 
moisture.  And  other  some  fe^l  among  thorns,  and  the 
thorns  growing  up  with  it,  choked  it.  And  other  some 
fell  upon  good  ground,  and  sprung  up  and  yielded  fruit 
a  hundred-fold.  Saying  these  things  He  cried  out :  He 
that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.  And  His  disci- 
ples asked  Him  what  this  parable  might  be.  To  whom 
He  said:  To  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  but  to  the  rest  in  parables:  that  seeing 
they  may  not  see,  and  hearing  they  may  not  understand. 
Now  this  parable  is  this:  The  seed  is  the  word  of  God. 
And  they  by  the  wayside  are  they  that  hear:  then  the 
devil  Cometh,  and  taketh  the  word  out  of  their  heart,  lest 
believing  they  should  be  saved.  Now  they  upon  the  rock 
are  they  who,  when  they  hear,  receive  the  word  with  joy: 
and  these  have  no  roots,  who  believe  for  a  while,  and  in 
time  of  temptation  fall  away.  And  that  which  fell  among 
thorns  are  they  who  have  heard,  and  going  their  way,  are 
choked  with  the  cares  and  riches  and  pleasures  of  this 
life,  and  yield  no  fruit.  But  that  on  the  good  ground  are 
they  who  in  a  good  and  perfect  heart,  hearing  the  word, 
keep  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit  in  patience." 

O.   What    did    Our    Lord    wish    to    teach    by    this 
parable  ? 


70  SEXAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

A.  He  wished  to  say  that  of  all  those  who  came  to 
see  and  hear  Him  comparatively  few  would  profit  by 
His  divine  teaching. 

Q.  What  did  He  mean  when  He  said,  "  He  that  hath 
ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear"? 

A.  To  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  to  hear  His  words 
and  understand  the  significance  of  His  wonderful 
works,  the  divine  gift  of  grace  is  first  of  all  neces- 
sary. Even  St.  Peter  could  not  have  recognized  in 
Him  the  Son  of  the  living  God  if  it  had  not  been 
revealed  to  him.  Besides  the  divine  grace  there  is 
also  necessary  a  docile  heart,  a  sincere  mind,  and  an 
ardent  desire  to  be  enlightened  in  the  things  neces- 
sary for  gaining  eternal  life.  Now,  among  the  multi- 
tude that  collected  about  Our  Lord  to  hear  His  words 
and  witness  His  miracles  there  were  but  few  who  had 
these  necessary  conditions;  there  were,  on  the  con- 
trary, many  who  opposed  Him  and  refused  to  yield  to 
the  many  proofs  He  continually  gave  of  His  mission 
and  His  divine  nature.  When  therefore  He  said.  He 
that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.  He  meant  to 
say:  He  who  is  faithful  to  the  grace  he  receives,  and 
hears  Me  with  a  sincere  mind  and  upright  heart,  will 
understand  the  meaning  of  My  parables  and  the  salu- 
tary significance  of  My  words. 

Q.  How,  then,  could  He  say  that  He  spoke  in  para- 
bles that  they  might  not  understand  Him? 

A.  In  reading  St.  Matthew  these  words  are  easily 
understood :  they  mean  that  in  thus  speaking  Jesus 
Christ  wished  to  say,  not  indeed  that  He  spoke  in 
parables  that  they  might  not  understand  Him,  but 
that  many,  because  of  their  bad  motives  and  blind 
passions,  saw  the  wonders  worked  by  Him  and  heard 


SEXAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  7 1 

His  words,  but  did  not  understand  the  meaning-  of 
His  teaching.  Observe  that  the  merit  of  the  Chris- 
tian depends  on  faith ;  that  in  view  of  this  fact  Christ 
does  not  force  the  intellect  by  a  powerful  conviction, 
but  only  submits  to  it  abundant  motives  to  w4n  our 
meritorious  belief ;  and  that  all  those  who  permitted 
themselves  to  be  led  by  the  spirit  of  God,  w^ho  yielded 
to  divine  grace,  heard  Him  willingly  and  believed 
His  words,  while  those  who  permitted  themselves  to 
be  led  by  the  spirit  of  Satan  rejected  them.  Jesus, 
then,  did  not  speak  in  parables  that  He  might  not  be 
understood;  but  rather  the  Jews,  blinded  by  their 
passions,  did  not  wish,  and  did  not  deserve,  to  under-' 
stand  the  evidence  of  His  miracles  or  the  meaning  of 
His  words. 

Q.  What  is  meant  by  the  seed,  and  who  was  the 
sower? 

A.  The  seed  is  the  word  of  God,  the  teachings  of 
the  gospel,  and  the  sower  is  Jesus  Christ,  Who  once 
in  person  sowed  this  seed  of  holiness,  and  Who  con- 
tinues to  sow  it  to  the  end  of  time  by  means  of  His 
ministers,  who  are  charged  with  the  office  of  His 
eternal  priesthood. 

Q.  What  is  meant  by  the  road,  the  rock,  the  thorns, 
and  the  good  ground? 

A.  All  these  signify  different  kinds  of  Christians, 
who,  with  different  dispositions,  hear  the  divine  word 
with  greater  or  less  or  no  benefit. 

Q.  What  does  the  seed  signify  which  fell  by  the 
wayside  ? 

A.  It  signifies  the  word  of  God  preached  to  those 
who  leave  their  hearts  open  and  free  to  vice,  and  are 
therefore    always  yielding  to  temptation.     Through 


72  SEXAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

custom,  curiosity,  or  accident  they  hear  the  voice  of 
the  minister  of  God.  But  the  vices  which  rule  in 
their  hearts,  like  travellers  who  come  and  go,  tread 
on  and  render  ineffectual  the  great  truths  which  are 
announced  to  them ;  and  if  these  truths  sometimes 
make  impressions,  the  constant  tem-ptations  to  which 
hearers  of  this  kind  are  subject  soon  obliterate  them ; 
or  as  the  seed  on  the  wayside  is  destroyed  by  the 
birds,  in  like  manner  the  remembrance  of  the  divine 
word  received  from  the  lips  of  the  minister  of  God  is 
plucked  from  their  hearts  by  the  emissaries  of  Satan. 

Q.   What. of  the  seed  that  fell  on  the  rocks? 

A.  This  seed  is  the  word  of  God  heard  by  Christians, 
or  rather  sinners,  who  try  to  serve  two  master's.  They 
hear  the  word  of  God  and,  touched  by  it,  recognize 
their  evil  ways  and  spiritual  disorders  and  make  reso- 
lutions of  amendment,  but  on  a  new  occasion,  at  the 
first  impulse  of  their  favorite  passions,  they  abandon 
their  good  resolutions  and  return  to  their  former  sins. 
The  divine  word  would  take  root  and  grow  in  them 
if  it  had  a  foundation  in  charity,  but  as  these  hearers 
have  not  a  solid  and  sincere  love  of  God,  the  seed  of 
the  divine  word  is  withered  by  the  heat  and  fire  of 
their  passions. 

Q.  What  of  the  seed  that  fell  among  thorns? 

A.  Thorns  generally  grow  on  sterile  ground.  This 
ground,  if  carefully  cultivated,  would  be  more  or  less 
fruitful.  The  seed  fallen  among  thorns  is  soon  suffo- 
cated by  them.  This  takes  place  when  the  word  of 
God  is  heard  by  a  person  who  nourishes  in  his  heart 
a  mixture  of  good  and  evil.  Let  us  say,  for  example, 
a  man  who  is  assiduous  in  his  religious  duties,  not 
disordered  by  bad  habits,  but  in  matters  of  interest 


SEXAGESiiMA    hU.NDAV.  73 

to  himself  vicious  and  avaricious ;  or  a  woman  atten- 
tive to  her  duties,  loving  prayer,  charitable  to  others, 
but  ambitious,  given  to  the  fashions,  fond  of  dress 
and  show.  The  first  lets  the  word  of  God  increase 
in  his  heart  as  long  as  it  does  not  go  contrary  to  his 
interests;  but  finally  an  unjust  gain,  or  a  disregard  of 
the  rights  of  others,  destroys  every  good  germ.  The 
second,  on  the  occasion  of  a  passion,  a  ball,  or  a  too 
free  conversation,  forgets  God  and  permits  to  be 
suffocated  the  seed  which  for  a  time  grew  in  her 
heart.  Christians  of  this  kind,  infected  with  thorns, 
are  the  most  numerous  in  the  world. 

Q.  And  what  of  the  seed  that  fell  upon  good 
ground  ? 

A.  By  good  ground,  says  St.  Thomas,  is  meant  the 
good  conscience  and  true  heart  of  the  just  man.  This 
man,  willingly,  with  devotion,  docility,  and  a  desire 
to  profit  by  it,  hears  the  divine  word.  He  keeps  it 
in  his  memory,  meditates  on  it,  and  at  the  proper 
time  recalls  it  in  order  to  avoid  sin,  to  exercise  him- 
self in  virtue,  and  to  gain  merit,  and  in  this  way 
makes  it  flourish  and  abound. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  First  of  all,  we  should  try  to  learn  to  which  of 
these  four  classes  of  Christians  we  belong ;  whether  to 
those  indicated  by  the  wayside,  the  rocks,  the  thorns, 
or  the  good  ground,  and  when  we  discover  our  de- 
fects we  should  pray  God  to  grant  us  the  necessary 
grace  and  help  to  amend  our  lives. 

Q.  What  should  we  do  besides? 

A.  We  should  try  to  make  our  hearts  the  good 
ground,  that  the  seed  of  the  divine  word  may  flourish 
and  bear  fruit.     To  do  this  we  should  be  anxious  to 


74  QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

hear  the  word  of  God  as  frequently  as  possible,  and 
to  hear  it  not  merely  through  custom  or  curiosity, 
but  from  a  sincere  desire  to  be  enlightened,  corrected, 
improved,  and  sanctified.  For  this  reason  we  should 
hear  the  voice  of  the  priest  with  humility,  faith, 
devotion,  and  attention.  And  after  having  heard  the 
divine  word  we  should  make  it  a  duty  to  meditate  on 
it,  to  obey  it,  and  to  render  to  God  the  fruit  of- good 
works,  laboring  with  a  good  will  for  Him,  and  perse- 
vering in  good  to  the  end,  that  is,  the  harvest  time. 


QUINQIJAGESIMA   SUNDAY. 

Gospel :  St.  Luke  xviii.  31-43. 

AT  that  time:  "Jesus  took  unto  Him  the  twelve  and 
said  to  them :  Behold  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all 
things  shall  be  accomplished  which  were  written  by  the 
prophets  concerning  the  Son  of  man.  For  He  shall  be 
delivered  to  the  Gentiles,  and  shall  be  mocked,  and 
scourged,  and  spit  upon.  And  after  they  have  scourged 
Him,  they  will  put  Him  to  death  and  the  third  day  He 
shall  rise  again.  And  they  understood  none  of  these 
things,  and  this  word  was  hid  from  them,  and  they  un- 
derstood not  the  things  that  were  said.  Now  it  came  to 
pass  when  He  drew  nigh  to  Jericho,  a  certain  blind  man 
sat  by  the  wayside,  begging.  And  when  he  heard  the 
multitude  passing  by,  he  asked  what  this  meant.  And 
they  told  him  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  passing  by. 
And  he  cried  out,  saying:  Jesus,  Son  of  David,  have 
mercy  on  me.  And  they  that  went  before  rebuked  him, 
that  he  should  hold  his  peace.  But  he  cried  out  much 
more:  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  x\nd  Jesus 
standing  commanded  him  to  be  brought  unto  Him.  And 
when  he  was  come  near,  He  asked  hmi,  saying:   What 


QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  75 

wilt  thou  that  I  do  to  thee?  But  he  said:  Lord,  that  I 
may  see.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Receive  thy  sight: 
thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.  And  immediately  he 
saw,  and  followed  Him,  glorifying-  God.  And  all  the 
people,  when  they  saw  it,  gave  praise  to  God." 

Q.  Under  what  circumstances  did  Our  Lord  say 
these  things  to  His  apostles? 

A.  He  said  them  when  He  was  about  departing 
from  the  city  of  Ephrem,  where,  after  calling  Lazarus 
back  to  life,  and  wishing  to  escape  the  envy  of  the 
Pharisees,  He  went  for  the  last  time  to  Jerusalem  to 
suffer  the  full  bitterness  of  His  Passion. 

Q,  If  He  foresaw  the  cruel  death  that  '.waited  Him 
there,  why  did  He  go? 

A.  He  wxnt  there  because  it  was  the  will  of  His 
Eternal  Father,  because  this  was  the  object  of  His 
mission  on  earth,  and  because  it  was  the  desire  of 
His  heart  to  sacrifice  His  life  for  the  salvation  of 
mankind. 

Q.  Why  did  He  foretell  to  the  apostles  the  sufferings 
He  was  to  undergo  in  Jerusalem  ? 

A.  That  they  might  know  that  He  was  truly  the 
Son  of  God,  as  God  alone  could  know  future  events 
depending  on  free  causes.  He  also  foretold  them 
that  the  apostles  might  know  that  if  He  went  to  sub- 
mit to  suffering  and  death  He  did  so  of  His  own  free 
will,  and  that  they  might  not  be  scandalized  by  His 
humiliations,  and  not  waver  in  their  faith.  And 
lastly,  He  foretold  these  things  that  they  might  learn 
of  Him  to  bear  courageously  the  sufferings  and  the 
martyrdom  which  they  were  to  undergo. 

O.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this? 

A.  To  strengthen    ourselves  always    the  more   in 


76  QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY. 

our  faith  by  understanding  that  Jesus  Christ  is  true 
God,  and  that  He  suffered  death  because  He  willed 
to  do  so  out  of  love  for  us ;  and  that  we  might  learn 
from  Him  to  meet  courageously  the  tribulations  and 
crosses  which  Divine  Providence,  always  just  and 
kind,  had  prepared  for  us. 

Q.  The  blind  man  he  met  and  cured  on  the  way,  of 
what  was  he  a  figure  ? 

A.  According  to  St.  Gregory  he  was  a  figure  of  two 
things.  In  general,  he  represented  the  whole  human 
race;  in  particular,  he  was  a  figure  of  those  Chris- 
tians who,  blinded  by  the  things  of  this  world,  do 
not  see  the  value  of  heavenly  things. 

Q.  How  was  he  a  figure  of  the  whole  human 
race? 

A.  Consider  attentively  this  blind  man.  He  was 
outside  the  city ;  he  did  not  see  the  rags  that  covered 
him ;  he  did  not  see  the  dangers  about  him ;  he  was 
helpless  and  depended  entirely  on  the  assistance  of 
those  he  met  on  the  road.  Such  is  the  human 
race.  Through  the  sin  of  Adam  it  was  placed 
outside  the  way  of  Paradise;  blinded  in  intellect, 
it  sees  not  its  own  misery,  nor  the  light  of  truth, 
nor  the  gulf  open  before  it  by  ignorance,  passion,  and 
its  own  fallen  nature ;  incapable  of  repairing  its  mis- 
fortunes by  its  own  power,  it  could  only  hope  for 
salvation  from  the  Eternal  Word,  Who,  coming  upon 
earth  clothed  in  our  flesh,  should  redeem  it,  by  His 
infinite  merits  and  by  the  power  of  His  grace,  from 
its  great  calamity,  and  enable  it  to  see  God,  to  see 
itself,  and  to  see  all  things  necessary  to  salvation. 

Q.  How  did  the  blind  man  represent  those  Chris- 
tians who  are  blinded  by  the  things  of  this  world? 


QUINQUAGESIMA    SUNDAY.  77 

A.  He  saw  neither  the  magnificence  of  his  coun- 
try, nor  the  road  that  leads  to  it,  nor  the  face  of  any 
one  from  whom  he  could  ask  assistance.  It  is  the 
same  with  Christians  who  are  blinded  by  the  things  of 
this  world  They  find  themselves  in  the  bosom  of 
the  Church,  but  see  not  its  beauties ;  they  are  on  the 
road  to  heaven,  but  cannot  advance  one  step;  they 
wish  for  happiness,  but  know  not  the  vanity,  the  im- 
potence, the  nothingness  of  riches,  honors,  and  power, 
from  which  they  hope  for  it  in  vain. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  blind  man  ? 

A.  We  should  learn  never  to  let  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity pass  nor  delay  a  single  moment  to  implore  the 
healing  of  our  souls  whenever  God  passes  with  His 
grace ;  we  should  learn  to  make  ourselves  heard  by 
prayer,  internal  aspirations,  and  by  the  voice  of  the 
priest. 

Q.  The  blind  man  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice. 
What  is  the  lesson  of  this? 

A.  We  should  learn  that  when  it  is  a  question  of 
salvation  we  should  pay  no  regard  to  human  respect 
nor  the  dissuasions  of  bad  companions,  nor  to  what 
the  world  may  say,  nor  to  the  voice  of  the  passions, 
nor  to  anything  whatever.  The  greater  the  obstacles 
the  greater  should  be  our  ardor  to  pray  and  invoke 
the  divine  assistance. 

Q.   But  was  not  this  blind  man  somewhat  bold  ? 

A.  In  appealing  to  Christ  the  Son  of  David  He 
gave  signs  of  great  faith,  because  He  thus  confessed 
Him  to  be  the  expected  Messias,  capable  of  curing 
him  if  He  so  willed ;  and  by  appealing  to  His  pity  and 
showing  his  great  desire  he  gave  proof  of  his  confi- 
dence that  the  Lord  by  His   omnipotence  could,  and 


78  FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

by  His  charity  would,  heal  Him.  We  learn  from 
this  miracle  to  confide  in  the  divine  mercy,  and  know 
that,  however  great  our  spiritual  blindness,  God  will 
give  us  grace  if  we  ask  it  with  confidence. 


FIRST  SUNDAY   OF  LENT. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  iv.  i-ii. 

AT  that  time:  "Jesus  was  led  by  the  spirit  into  the 
desert,  to  be  tempted  by  the  devil.  And  when  He 
had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  afterwards  He  was 
hungry.  And.  the  tempter  coming  said  to  Him:  If  thou 
be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones  be  made 
bread.  Who  answered  and  said:  It  is  written:  Not  in 
bread  alone  doth  man  live,  but  in  every  word  that  pro- 
ceedeth  from  the  mouth  of  God.  Then  the  devil  took 
Him  up  into  the  holy  city  and  set  Him  upon  the  pinnacle 
of  the  temple,  and  said  to  Him :  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God, 
cast  Thyself  down,  for  it  is  written:  That  He  hath  given 
His  angels  charge  over  Thee,  and  in  their  hands  shall  they 
bear  Thee  up,  lest  perhaps  Thou  dash  Thy  foot  against 
a  stone.  Jesus  said  to  him:  It  is  written  again:  Thou 
shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God.  Again  the  devil  took 
Him  up  into  a  very  high  mountain:  and  showed  Him  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glory  of  them,  and 
said  to  Him:  All  these  will  I  give  Thee,  if  falling  down 
Thou  wilt  adore  me.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Begone, 
Satan,  for  it  is  written:  The  Lord  thy  God  shalt  thou 
adore,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  Then  the  devil 
left  Him:  and  behold,  angels  came  and  ministered  to 
Him." 

Q.  When  did  these  events  take  place? 
A.  They  took  place  before  Jesus  began  His  public 
life,  and  immediately  after  He  had  been  baptized  by 


FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  79 

John  the  Baptist,  when  the  voice  of  His  heavenly- 
Father  was  heard  saying,  "  This  is  My  beloved  Son, 
in  Whom  I  am  well  pleased." 

Q.  What  spirit  led  Christ  into  the  desert? 

A.  It  was  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  same  Spirit  Who 
descended  upon  Him  in  the  form  of  a  dove ;  it  was 
that  Holy  Ghost  Who  inspires  Christians  to  be  faith- 
ful to  the  grace  of  baptism,  to  flee  the  world,  to  seek 
solitude,  if  not  of  the  body,  at  least  of  the  heart,  to  do 
penance,  and  to  find  happiness  in  prayer  and  in  com- 
munion with  God. 

Q.  But  why  did  the  Spirit  lead  Him  into  the  desert 
where  He  was  to  be  tempted? 

A.  The  Holy  Ghost  Who  led  Christ  had  not  His 
temptation  in  view,  but  His  victory.  The  divine 
Redeemer  had  come  to  repair  the  disgrace  and  igno- 
miny of  the  human  race,  and  it  was  necessary  that 
the  evil  spirit,  who  had  overcome  mankind  in  the 
person  of  Adam,  should  himself  be  vanquished  by- 
man  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  was  therefore 
proper,  says  St.  Gregory,  that  the  divine  Word  made 
flesh  should  go  to  attack  our  enemy,  and,  fighting 
as  one  of  us,  triumph  for  us,  and  by  overcoming  the 
tempter  secure  to  us  the  victory. 

Q.  Had  Christ  any  other  object  in  exposing  Him- 
self to  the  assaults  of  the  enemy? 

A.  He  had.  In  permitting  the  evil  spirit  to  assail 
Him  He  would  teach  His  followers  not  to  lose  courage 
when  assailed  by  temptations,  for  as  long  as  they  do 
not  yield  to  them  they  do  not  defile  the  soul,  but  are 
an  occasion  of  glory  and  reward  to  brave  soldiers.  He 
also  wished  to  teach  us  how  to  overcome  the  devil. 
He  wished,  as  St.  Augustine  says,  to  render  our  vie- 


8o  FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

tories  easy  for  us  by  His  own  victory.  He  wished  to 
teach  that  all  who  consecrate  themselves  to  Him,  and 
especially  those  who  are  called  to  do  great  things  in 
the  Church,  should  be  always  ready  to  meet  tempta- 
tions, for  by  suffering  temptations  they  learn  how  to 
overcome  them,  and  are  able  to  teach  others.  By 
overcoming  temptations  we  advance  in  virtue  and 
gain  greater  graces  and  rewards. 

Q.   What  did  Christ  merit  for  us  by  His  long  fast? 

A.  By  His  fast  He  sanctified  our  fasts,  mortifica- 
tions, and  abstinences  when  we  practise  them  in  a 
true  spirit  of  penance.  His  example  renders  easy  for 
us  those  sufferings  by  which  we  conquer  the  rebellion 
of  the  flesh.  Lastly,  by  His  fast  He  instituted  and 
blessed  that  fast  of  forty  days  which  the  Church  has 
always  observed  as  an  apostolic  tradition. 

•  Q.   What  should  we    learn  from  Christ's  first  an- 
swer to  the  devil? 

A.  Satan,  taking  occasion  of  Christ's  hunger, 
tempted  Him  to  change  stones  into  bread.  Christ 
answered  that  man  lives  not  by  bread  alone,  but  by 
every  word  that  proceedeth  from  the  mouth  of  God. 
This  answer  teaches  us  to  put  our  confidence  in  God 
in  all  our  necessities.  He  will  provide  for  all  our 
wants.  How  many  anxieties  and  sins  we  would  avoid 
if  in  our  troubles  we  would  put  our  confidence  in 
God!  Let  us,  then,  live  the  life  of  the  just;  let  us 
abandon  ourselves  without  reserve  to  the  mercy  of 
our  heavenly  Father,  and  remember  that  a  just  man 
has  never  been  forsaken  by  God. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  answer  to  the 
second  temptation? 

A.   That  we  should  never  tempt  God.      Christ  could 


FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  8l 

have  come  down  from  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple  by 
the  ordinary  way,  and  it  was  tempting  God  to  expect 
Him,  to  work  an  unnecessary  miracle  to  preserve  Him 
if  He  had  cast  Himself  down  from  that  height,  as  the 
devil  tempted  Him  to  do.  Thus  also  do  we  tempt 
God  when  we  ask  for  miracles  in  confirmation  of  our 
religion,  as  faith  is  sufficient  for  us.  We  also  tempt 
God  when  we  ask  to  be  cured  of  sickness  by  a  miracle 
when  we  can  be  cured  by  proper  medicines.  We 
tempt  God  when  we  expect  Him  to  preserve  us  from 
sin  Avhile  we  place  ourselves  unnecessarily  in  the 
proximate  occasion  of  sin. 

Q.  What  does  Christ  teach  us  by  His  answer  to  the 
last  temptation  ? 

A.  He  teaches  us  that  we  should  not  for  all  the 
world  give  to  creatures  the  honor  which  belongs  to 
God  alone.  The  devil  promised  Christ  all  the  king- 
doms of  the  earth  if  falling  down  He  would  adore  him, 
and  Christ  by  putting  him  to  flight  taught  us  that  we 
must  renounce  all  things  rather  than  fail  to  honor 
God.  How  often  does  the  devil  repeat  this  tempta- 
tion by  representing  to  us  the  temporal  advantages  to 
be  gained  by  failing  in  our  duty  to  God  and  by  prom- 
ising us  the  friendship  and  protection  of  the  great  and 
powerful  of  the  world!  Let  us  learn  from  Jesus 
that,  come  what  may,  we  must  never  be  disobedient 
or  wanting  in  respect  to  the  awful  majesty  of  the 
Lord. 

Q.  Is  there  anything  more  to  be  said  regarding  the 
nature  of  the  temptations  mentioned  in  this  Gospel  ? 

A.  We  may  observe  that  Christ,  by  overcoming 
them,  has  vanquished  in  their  very  foundations  all 
the  temptations  that  can  possibly  assail  man.  If  we 
6 


$2  FIRST    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

will  but  reflect  we  will  see  that  temptations  always 
arise  from  love  of  the  flesh,  from  love  of  honors,  or 
from  love  of  the  things  of  this  world,  riches.  Now 
Christ,  by  refusing  to  change  stones  into  'bread  to  sat- 
isfy His  hunger,  overcame  love  of  the  flesh.  By  re- 
fusing to  cast  Himself  down  from  the  summit  of  the 
temple  in  order  that  the  angels  might  bear  Him  up, 
and  thus  glorify  Himself,  He  conquered  love  of 
honors.  And  by  refusing  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth,  he  conquered  love  of  worldly  possessions. 
Thus  He  overcame  in  their  very  origin  the  principal 
passions  that  wage  a  continual  war  against  us.  And 
by  the  merits  of  His  victory  He  has  enabled  us  to  meet 
by  the  grace  of  God  those  temptations  which  may 
come  upon  us. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  understand  by  those  angels 
who  came  to  serve  Jesus  ? 

A.  By  them  we  are  to  understand  the  way  God 
treats  those  who,  in  the  hour  of  temptation  make 
good  use  of  His  grace  and  remain  faithful  to  Him. 
He  ordinarily  gives  peace  and  joy  to  those  who  have 
fought  the  good  fight  and  resivSted  temptation.  Joseph 
remained  faithful  when  tempted,  and  was  put  into 
prison,  but  afterward  the  throne  of  Egypt  was  his 
reward.  Susanna  remained  faithful,  and  vSuffered 
the  agonies  of  death ;  but  Daniel  made  her  innocence 
known  to  all.  The  three  children  of  Babylon  remained 
faithful,  and  an  angel  rescued  them  from  the  fiery 
furnace.  Let  us  remain  faithful  in  the  time  of  tempta- 
tion, and  the  peace,  happiness,  and  blessings  we  shall 
enjoy  will  be  so  many  invisible  angels  which  the 
Lord  will  send  to  comfort  and  console  us  after  the 
battle  is  over. 


SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  S^ 

Q.   What  lesson  should  we  draw  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  We  should  learn  to  love  and  practise  mortifica- 
tion and  penance,  and  not  to  lose  courage  when 
strongly  tempted.  We  should  repel  the  suggestions 
of  the  devil  with  the  maxims  and  precepts  of  the 
gospel,  and  look  to  God  for  the  reward  of  having 
suffered  and  endured  for  His  glory. 


SECOND   SUNDAY   OF  LENT. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xvii.  1-9. 

AT  that  time :  "  Jesus  taketh  unto  Him  Peter  and  James, 
and  John  his  brother,  and  bringeth  them  up  into  a 
high  mountain  apart:  and  He  was  transfigured  before 
them.  And  His  face  did  shine  as  the  sun:  and  His  gar- 
ments became  white  as  snow.  And  behold  there  appeared 
to  them  Moses  and  Elias  talking  with  Him.  And  Peter 
answering,  said  to  Jesus:  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be 
here:  if  Thou  wilt,  let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles, 
one  for  Thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias.  And 
as  He  was  yet  speaking,  behold  a  bright  cloud  overshaded 
them.  And  lo,  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud  saying:  This  is 
My  beloved  Son,  in  Whom  I  am  well  pleased:  hear  ye 
Him.  And  the  disciples  hearing,  fell  upon  their  face, 
and  were  very  much  afraid.  And  Jesus  came  and  touched 
them,  and  said  to  them :  Arise,  and  fear  not.  And  they, 
lifting  up  their  eyes,  saw  no  one,  but  only  Jesus.  And  as 
they  came  down  from  the  mountain  Jesus  charged  them, 
saying:  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man  till  the  Son  of  man  be 
risen  from  the  dead." 

Q.  On  what  mountain  did  this  wonderful  event 
take  place? 

A.  It  is  generally  believed  that  it  took  place  on 
Mount  Thabor,  which  is  near  the  town  of  Nazareth, 


84  SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

in  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  between  the  Mediterranean 
Sea  and  the  Lake  of  Genesareth.  From  its  summit 
one  can  see  almost  the  whole  of  Palestine:  to  the 
east  the  River  Jordan  and  the  country  beyond ;  to  the 
south,  the  tribes  of  Issachar  and  Manasses;  to  the 
west,  the  Mediterranean  Sea;  and  to  the  north,  a 
sweep  of  land  reaching  to  the  mountains  of  Lebanon. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  wish  His  transfiguration  to  take 
place  on  a  mountain  and  in  the  presence  of  His  three 
apostles  ? 

A.  He  wished  it  to  take  place  on  a  mountain,  and  in 
a  solitary  place,  to  give  us  to  understand  that  divine 
favors  are  reserved  for  those  who,  by  their  virtues, 
raise  themselves  above  all  things  earthly,  who  retire 
into  solitude  and  flee  from  the  distractions  and  cares 
of  the  world.  Now  St.  Peter  represents  those  who 
are  steadfast  in  their  faith,  St.  James  those  who  con- 
trol their  passions,  St.  John  the  chaste  and  pure. 
Hence  Jesus  selected  them  to  enjoy  so  great  a  privi- 
lege in  order  that  we  might  hope  to  receive  His 
special  favors  if  we  are  firm  in  our  ,  faith  like  St. 
Peter,  if  we  overcome  our  passions  like  St.  James, 
and  if  we  are  pure  in  mind  and  body  like  St.  John. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  manifest  Himself  in  His  glory 
to  these  apostles? 

A.  He  did  so  for  several  reasons.  First,  by  giving 
them  a  manifestation  of  the  glory  which  was  His  own 
and  which  was  not  lost  or  diminished,  but  only  hidden 
by  the  veil  of  humanity.  He  gave  them  a  visible  proof 
of  His  divinity.  Moreover,  He  did  so  to  strengthen 
them  and  sustain  their  faith  when  they  would  later  on 
see  Him  in  humiliation  and  suffering.  Lastly,  He 
was  transfigured  before  them  to  encourage  them  and 


SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  85 

all  future  Christians  to  suffer  voluntarily  the  trials  of 
the  apostleship  and  observe  the  law,  by  permitting 
them  to  see  a  glimpse  of  that  consolation  which  they 
will  enjoy  in  the  vision  of  God,  which  is  the  reward 
of  all  that  love  and  obey  Him  here  on  earth. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  do  to  thus  transform  Him- 
self? 

A.  He  permitted  a  ray  of  His  divinity  to  manifest 
itself  from  His  body,  and  this  was  sufficient  to 
cause  Him  to  appear  to  the  eyes  of  the  apostles  as 
luminous  as  the  sun  and  His  garments  as  white  as 
snow.  Imagine  the  effect  when  the  sun  descends 
beyond  a  mountain  whose  summit  is  capped  with 
snow.  The  crest  of  the  mountain  is  covered  with  a 
border  of  light  which  dazzles  and  charms,  and  you 
perceive  that  as  the  rays  of  the  sun  pass  over  the 
snow  they  impart  to  it  their  light  and  thus  reveal 
colors  so  various  and  charming  to  see.  In  like  man- 
ner the  light  of  the  divinity  illuminated  the  body  and 
garments  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  Why  did  He  cause  Moses  and  Elias  to  appear 
instead  of  other  renowned  persons  ? 

A.  Moses  was  the  promulgator  of  the  law  which 
God  gave  him  on  Mount  Sinai,  and  Elias  was  consid- 
ered by  all  as  the  prince  of  the  prophets.  The 
Mosaic  law  prepared  the  way  for  the  promised  Mes- 
sias,  and  all  the  sacrifices  prescribed  by  it  were  but 
figures  of  the  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ.  All  the  pre- 
dictions of  the  prophets  pointed  to  Jesus  Christ.  In 
view  of  these  facts  you  can  easily  see  that  Our  Lord 
caused  Moses  and  Elias,  and  not  others,  to  appear 
on  either  side  of  Him  in  order  that  the  apostles,  and 
all  believers  with  them,   could  see  how  the  figures 


S6  SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

of  the  law  and  the  predictions  of  the  prophets  were 
to  be  realized  in  Him,  and  that  while  He  was  pleased 
to  manifest  His  glory  He  called  to  do  Him  homage 
those  who  by  the  law  and  by  the  prophecies  had  pre- 
pared the  way  for  Him. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  St.  Peter,  who  wished  to 
remain  on  the  mountain  enjoying  that  vision? 

A.  The  magnificence  of  the  vision,  the  joy  of  soul, 
and  satisfaction  of  heart  had  affected  him  to  such  a 
degree  that,  forgetting  that  he  was  a  man  subject  to 
death,  and  desiring  nothing  more,  he  thought  it  good 
to  remain  there  forever.  But  if  a  single  ray  of  the 
glory  of  Christ  could  cause  such  profound  emotions 
in  St.  Peter,  what  will  our  joy  be  when  at  the  resur- 
rection we  shall  arise  immortal  and  see  Him  in  the 
fulness  of  His  majesty,  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of 
His  Father  amid  the  splendor  of  the  saints? 

Q.   What  was  the  bright  cloud? 

A.  Let  us  not  lose  time  inquiring  what  it  was,  but 
rather  consider  what  it  signified.  Interpreters  agree 
that  in  this,  as  in  the  baptism  of  Christ,  the  Blessed 
Trinity  manifested  Itself.  The  Eternal  Father  spoke, 
the  Divine  Word  was  present  in  the  person  of  Christ, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  appeared  in  the  semblance  of  a 
bright  cloud,  as  He  appeared  in  the  form  of  a  dove  at 
the  baptism  of  Christ.  In  seeing  this  cloud  that  en- 
vironed Christ,  Moses,  Elias,  the  apostles,  and  the 
mountain,  let  us  remember  that  Holy  Spirit  Who 
moved  the  lips  of  the  prophets,  Who  made  the  law 
fruitful,  Who  crowned  the  great  work  of  redemption. 
Who  transformed  the  apostles,  and  Who  animates, 
governs,  and  sanctifies  the  whole  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ. 


SECOND    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  87 

Q.  Whose  voice  was  it  that  issued  from  the  cloud, 
and  what  was  the  import  of  the  words? 

A.  The  voice  was  that  of  the  Eternal  Father,  for 
He  alone  could  say :  "  This  is  My  beloved  Son  in 
Whom  I  am  well  pleased,  hear  ye  Him."  St.  Leo  the 
Great  says  that  by  these  words  the  Eternal  Father 
wished  to  proclaim  to  the  whole  world,  This  is  My  be- 
loved Son,  not  adopted,  but  My  own,  not  created,  but 
generated;  this  is  My  Son,  by  Whom  all  things  were 
made,  in  Him  I  am  well  pleased.  Whose  words  bear 
witness  of  Me,  Whose  humility  glorifies  Me.  Hear  ye 
Him  because  He  is  the  Truth  and  the  Way.  He  is 
My  wisdom,  He  Who  was  foretold  by  the  prophets 
and  Who  redeemed  the  world  by  His  blood.  He 
opens  the  way  to  heaven  and  by  His  cross  gives  us 
the  means  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
How  unfortunate  we  shall  be  if  we  do  not  listen  to 
this,  the  only  Teacher  of  truth  and  of  life  everlasting! 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  the  fear  which  possessed 
the  apostles? 

A.  It  was  quite  natural  that  the  apostles  should 
have  been  awed  by  the  unexpected  voice  of  God,  and 
we  should  in  no  way  be  surprised  at  it.  We  have 
reason,  however,  to  be  astonished  that  so  many  Chris- 
tians are  not  frightened  at  hearing  the  menaces  of 
the  same  God  against  those  who  follow  not  the  teach- 
ing and  the  law  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  Why  did  Our  Redeemer  forbid  the  apostles  to 
speak  of  what  they  had  seen  until  after  His  resur- 
rection ? 

A.  St.  Jerome  says  that  this  event  was  so  great 
and  wonderful  that  none  would  have  believed  it  if 
the  apostles  had  told  them  of  it,  and  the  ignorant 


88  THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

especially  would  have  been  greatly  scandalized  at 
seeing  Him  so  utterly  humiliated  in  the  time  of  His 
Passion  after  having  manifested  such  great  power  and 
glory.  The  proper  time  to  publish  so  wonderful  an 
event  was  after  the  Resurrection,  for  then  those  who 
saw  Him  raised  from  the  dead  could  have  no  difficulty 
in  acknowledging  Him  to  be  the  true  God,  and  able 
to  transfigure  Himself  as  He  did  on  Mount  Thabor. 
Besides,  to  witness  that  glorious  vision  was  a  special 
privilege  granted  to  the  three  apostles  alone,  and 
Christ  forbade  them  to  speak  of  it  that  they  might 
learn  to  hide  from  others  the  special  favors  they  had 
received,  in  order  not  to  expose  themselves  to  vain- 
glory and  perhaps  to  the  envy  of  others.  From  this 
we  should  learn  to  conceal  the  secret  consolations 
and  graces  which  the  Lord  is  pleased  to  grant  us. 
When  God  grants  us  favors  let  us  be  thankful  for 
them  and  correspond  with  them,  but  let  us  keep  all 
in  the  inmost  recesses  of  our  hearts. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  OF  LENT, 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  xi.  14-28. 

AT  that  time:  "Jesus  was  casting  out  a  devil,  and  the 
same  was  dumb.  And  when  He  had  cast  out  the 
devil  the  dumb  spoke:  and  the  multitudes  were  in  ad- 
miration at  it.  But  some  of  them  said:  He  casteth  out 
devils  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  devils.  And  others 
tempting  asked  of  Him  a  sign  from  heaven.  But  He 
seeing  their  thoughts  said  to  them:  Every  kingdom 
divided  against  itself  shall  be  brought  to  desolation,  and 
house  upon  a  house  shall  fall.  And  if  Satan  also  be 
divided  against  himself,  how  shall  his  kingdom  stand? 
because  you  say  that  through  Beelzebub  I  cast  out  devils. 


THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  89 

Now  if  I  cast  out  devils  by  Beelzebub,  by  whom  do  your 
children  cast  them  out?  Therefore  they  shall  be  your 
judges.  But  if  I  by  the  finger  of  God  cast  out  devils, 
doubtless  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come  upon  you.  When  a 
strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  court,  those  things  are  in 
peace  which  he  possesseth.  But  if  a  stronger  than  he  come 
upon  him  and  overcome  him,  he  will  take  away  all  his 
armor  wherein  he  trusted,  and  will  distribute  his  spoils. 
He  that  is  not  with  Me  is  against  Me :  and  he  that  gathered 
not  with  Me,  scattereth.  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone 
out  of  a  man  he  walketh  through  places  without  water, 
seeking  rest :  and  not  finding,  he  saith :  I  will  return  into 
my  house  whence  I  came  out.  And  when  he  is  come  he 
findeth  it  swept  and  garnished.  Then  he  goeth  and  taketh 
with  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself, 
and  entering  in  they  dwell  there.  And  the  last  state  of 
that  man  becometh  worse  than  the  first.  And  it  came  to 
pass  as  He  spoke  these  things,  a  certain  woman  from  the 
crowd  lifting  up  her  voice  said  to  Him:  Blessed  is  the 
womb  that  bore  Thee  and  the  paps  that  gave  thee  suck. 
But  He  said:  Yea,  rather,  blessed  are  they  who  hear  the 
word  of  God  and  keep  it." 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  this  dlimb  man  possessed 
by  the  devil? 

A.  From  the  context  of  the  other  Gospels  we  learn 
that  this  unfortunate  man  was  not  only  dumb  but 
also  blind,  and  that  his  condition  was  not  the  result  of 
sickness  but  the  work  of  the  devil  by  whom  he  was 
possessed.  St.  Jerome,  speaking  of  this  man's  recov- 
ery, says  that  three  miracles  were  worked  in  him. 
The  blind  was  made  to  see,  the  dumb  to  speak,  and 
the  possessed  delivered   from  the  power  of  the  devil. 

Q.  Of  w^hom  is  this  dumb  man  a  figure? 
A.   He  is  a  figure  of  the  human  race,  which,  being  a 
victim  of  the  demon,  like  a  blind  man  cannot  see  its 


90  THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

own  misery  nor  the  infamy  of  its  morals,  nor  the  light 
of  truth,  nor  its  duties,  nor  God.  And  like  a  dumb 
man,  it  cannot  utter  a  word  in  praise  of  the  divine 
majesty,  nor  a  word  in  behalf  of  its  own  welfare.  In 
a  more  particular  sense,  the  dumb  man  was  a  figure 
of  those  sinners  who,  blinded  by  their  passions,  can- 
not see  things  pertaining  to  God  or  to  their  own  souls, 
and  being  mute  in  matters  of  religion,  they  open  not 
their  lips  to  confess  their  sins,  to  praise  God,  or  to 
implore  His  mercy.  Let  us  pray  God  that  He  may 
not  permit  us  to  become  blind  and  dumb  like  so  many 
unfortunate  brethren. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  those  who  said  that 
Christ  healed  the  dumb  man  by  the  power  of  the 
devil? 

A.  We  must  not  be  astonished  at  this.  They  were 
always  influenced  by  envy  and  hatred,  and  saw  nothing 
but  evil  in  the  most  innocent  and  holy  actions.  Let 
us  bring  the  matter  home  to  ourselves  and  consider 
how  we  judge  our  neighbors.  If  we  find  that  we  are 
inclined  to  interpret  their  actions  in  a  good  sense 
let  us  rejoice,  for  it  is  a  sign  that  we  have  Christian 
charity  in  our  hearts.  But  if  we  discover  in  us  a 
disposition  to  find  fault  with  our  neighbors'  actions, 
or  to  attribute  bad  motives  to  them,  we  may  know  that 
it  is  hatred  and  envy  that  inspire  us,  and  we  should 
pray  God  to  free  us  from  such  inspirations. 

Q.   How  did  Christ  refute  their  calumny? 

A.  By  the  words  related  in  the  Gospel  Christ 
proved  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  demon  to  con- 
tend against  himself;  that  he  could  not  be  put  to 
flight  except  by  the  power  of  God,  and  that  if  He, 
Christ,  could  cast  out  devils,  then  the  time  foretold 


THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    LENT.  9I 

by   the    prophets    had    come — the    time   when    God 
would  reign  in  men's  hearts  by  His  grace. 

Q.  Who  is  that  strong  man  in  armor  who  guards 
his  house  in  peace? 

A.  This  strong  man  is  the  devil,  who  had  made 
himself  master  of  the  world  by  keeping  almost  the 
whole  human  race  in  bondage  through  errors  of  the 
mind  and  the  power  of  the  passions.  As  long  as  he 
could  keep  alive  superstition,  idolatry,  and  licentious- 
ness among  men  he  enjoyed  in  peace  his  tyrannical 
power  over  them,  and  they  served  him  and  plunged 
into  the  mire  of  corruption,  without  even  knowing  the 
misery  and  infamy  of  their  condition,  and  without 
the  desire  to  escape  from  it. 

Q.  And  who  is  the  stronger  man  who  comes  to  take 
away  his  armor? 

A.  It  is  Jesus  Christ,  Who  by  His  doctrine,  exam- 
ple, passion,  merits,  and  grace  disarms  the  devil  and 
overcomes  him,  destroys  his  kingdom,  encourages 
us,  dissipates  the  darkness  of  ignorance,  banishes 
idolatry,  and  makes  children  of  God  those  who  be- 
fore had  been  the  slaves  of  sin  and  victims  of  per- 
dition. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  mean  by  adding :  "  He  that  is 
not  with  Me  is  against  Me,  He  that  gathereth  not 
with  Me  scattereth  "? 

A.  By  these  words  He  gave  the  Jews  to  under- 
stand that  He  did  not  cast  out  devils  by  the  power  of 
the  devil,  as  they  thought,  for  it  is  impossible  that 
those  can  be  in  harmony  who  follow  opposite  ways 
and  have  opposite  ends  in  view.  In  fact,  says  St. 
Jerome,  the  devil  wants  men  to  be  the  slaves  of  their 
passions,  and  Jesus  wants  them  to  control   and  over- 


92  THIRD    SUNDAY    OF    LENT. 

come  their  passions.  The  devil  teaches  idolatry,  and 
Jesus  proclaims  the  knowledge  of  the  one  only  true 
God.  The  devil  entices  men  to  sin,  and  Jesus  exhorts 
them  to  practise  virtue  and  to  be  just.  How,  then, 
can  those  agree  whose  purposes  are  so  opposite? 

Q.   Is  there,  then,  nothing  in  those  words  for  us? 

A.  There  is  a  great  deal.  By  those  words  Jesus 
declares  as  enemies  all  those  who  do  not  think  as 
He  does  and  who  do  not  agree  with  Him  in  every  act. 
He  was  zealous  for  the  glory  of  His  Father,  and  in 
all  His  w^ords,  actions,  and  sufferings  sought  nothing 
but  that  glory.  They,  therefore,  who  combat  His 
doctrines,  who  are  indifferent  in  matters  of  religion, 
who  work  for  selfish  motives  or  to  gratify  their  pas- 
sions, are  His  enemies  and  against  Him.  He  who 
does  not  work  in  the  spirit  of  Christ,  with  His  motives, 
and  in  His  company,  gains  nothing,  loses  all,  and  is 
against  Him. 

Q.  Who  is  that  impure  spirit  who  leaves  a  house 
and  wanders  through  desert  places  and  finds  not  rest? 

A.  It  is  the  demon,  who,  driven  by  virtue  of  pen- 
ance from  the  soul  of  the  converted  sinner,  feels  tor- 
mented by  the  desire  to  return  and  take  possession 
again,  and  for  this  purpose  redoubles  His  temptation, 
and  his  rabid  desire  to  regain  control  of  the  soul  leaves 
him  no  peace.  Let  the  repentant  sinner  be  on  his 
guard  and  never  cease  to  pray  for  the  grace  of  perse- 
verance. Let  him  remember  that  the  devil  know^s 
well  his  weak  points,  and  will  not  cease  to  attack 
him  there. 

Q.  What  means  his  return  with  seven  devils  worse 
than  himself? 

A.  It  means  that  when  the  sinner,  who  by  God's 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT. 


93 


grace  has  been  converted  and  reconciled  with  his 
Maker,  falls  back  into  sin,  his  last  state  is  worse  than 
the  first;  and  as  relapse  in  diseases  of  the  body  is 
more  dangerous  and  more  difficult  to  cure  than  the 
original  disease,  so  is  the  relapse  of  the  soul  more 
fatal  and  difficult  to  heal. 

Q.  And  the  w^oman  who  cried  out:  "  Blessed  is  the 
womb  that  bore  thee,"  of  whom  was  she  a  figure? 

A.  She  was  a  figure  of  the  Church,  who  so  highly 
and  justly  praises  the  Blessed  Virgin,  who  bore  and 
nurtured  the  divine  Redeemer,  the  cause  of  our  salva- 
tion. We  should  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  Church 
and  bless  the  Mother  of  God,  and  have  recourse  to  her 
with  childlike  confidence. 

Q.  And  what  does  the  answer  of  Jesus  signify? 

A.  The  answer  implies  that,  though  great  was  the 
happiness  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  in  having  given 
birth  to  the  Redeemer,  yet  the  happiness  of  those  is 
also  very  great  who  hear  the  word  of  God  and  put  it 
in  practice,  for  by  so  doing  they  conceive  in  their 
heart,  in  a  spiritual  manner,  that  Fountain  and  Source 
of  all  good  Which  the  Mother  of  God  bore  in  her 
chaste  womb. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT. 
Gospel:  St.  John  vi.  1-15. 

AT  that  time:  "Jesus  went  over  the  Sea  of  Galilee, 
which  is  that  of  Tiberias:  and  a  great  multitude  fol- 
lowed Him,  because  they  saw  the  miracles  which  He  did 
on  them  that  were  diseased.  Jesus  therefore  went  up  into 
a  mountain,  and  there  He  sat  with  His  disciples.  Now 
the  Pasch,  the  festival  day  of  the  Jews,  was  near  at  hand. 


94 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT. 


When  Jesus  therefore  had  lifted  up  His  eyes,  and  seen  that 
a  very  great  multitude  cometh  to  Him,  He  said  to  Philip: 
Whence  shall  we  buy  bread,  that  these  may  eat?  And 
this  He  said  to  try  him,  for  He  Himself  knew  what  He 
would  do.  Philip  answered  Him:  Two  hundred  penny- 
worth of  bread  is  not  sufficient  for  them,  that  every  one 
may  take  a  little.  One  of  His  disciples,  Andrew,  the 
brother  of  Simon  Peter,  saith  to  Him:  There  is  a  boy  here 
that  hath  five  barley  loaves  and  two  fishes:  but  what  are 
these  among  so  many?  Then  Jesus  said:  Make  the  men 
sit  down.  Now  there  was  much  grass  in  the  place.  The 
men  therefore  sat  down,  in  number  about  five  thousand. 
And  Jesus  took  the  loaves  and  when  He  had  given  thanks, 
He  distributed  to  them  that  were  sat  down :  in  like  man- 
ner also  of  the  fishes  as  much  as  they  would.  And  when 
they  were  filled,  He  said  to  His  disciples:  Gather  up  the 
fragments  that  remain,  lest  they  be  lost.  They  gathered 
up  therefore,  and  filled  twelve  baskets  with  the  fragments 
of  the  five  barley  loaves,  which  remained  over  and  above 
to  them  that  had  eaten.  Now  those  men,  when  they  had 
seen  what  a  miracle  Jesus  had  done,  said:  This  is  of  a 
truth  the  Prophet  that  is  to  come  into  the  world.  Jesus 
therefore,  when  He  knew  that  they  would  come  to  take 
Him  by  force  and  make  Him  king,  fled  again  into  the 
mountain  Himself  alone." 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  the  multitude  that  followed 
Christ  into  the  desert? 

A.  We  must  admire  their  great  desire  to  hear  the 
words  of  Christ  and  to  be  with  Him,  a  desire  that 
caused  them  to  undergo  willingly  the  fatigue  and 
inconveniences  of  the  journey  and  to  lay  aside  their 
worldly  cares.  We  must  deplore  the  negligence  of 
so  many  Christians,  who  show  no  desire  to  follow 
Christ  in  the  way  of  salvation  and  to  hear  His  word 
announced  by  His  ministers. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT.  95 

Q.  Why  did  the  evangelist  record  the  circumstance 
that  the  Paschal  feast  or  Easter  was  near  at  hand 
when  Christ  worked  the  miracle? 

A.  The  multiplication  of  the  bread  in  the  desert, 
and  at  the  time  when  Easter  was  near  at  hand,  was  a 
figure  of  the  Blessed  wSacrament  with  which  the  whole 
Christian  Church  would  celebrate  the  Christian  Easter, 
and  which  would  feed  and  nourish  the  whole  world 
in  the  desert  of  this  life,  as  the  multitude  was  fed 
beyond  the  Jordan.  In  feeding  that  multitude  Christ 
enlivened  our  faith,  increased  our  gratitude,  and  fa- 
vored us  in  favoring  them. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  ask  Philip  where  they  could 
procure  bread  enough   to  feed  so  great  a  multitude? 

A.  Our  divine  Redeemer  had  resolved  to  work  a 
miracle,  but  He  wished  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
apostles  to  the  pressing  want  of  the  people  and  to  the 
impossibility  of  providing  for  them  by  any  human 
means,  and  that  Philip  should  show  repentance,  for 
if  he  believed  his  Master  to  be  God  and  ^lan,  he 
should  have  known  that  it  was  an  easy  matter  for  Him 
to  work  a  miracle  to  feed  the  multitude.  Let  us 
learn  from  this  that  God  very  often  withholds  His 
help  that  we  may  know  our  helplessness,  and  to  con- 
vince us  that  when  we  are  freed  from  evils  of  soul  or 
body  it  is  not  the  results  of  our  own  endeavors  or 
knowledge,  but  of  the  mercy  and  goodness  of  God. 
Let  us  learn  to  be  ready  to  give  Him  a  proof  of  our 
faith  whenever  He  is  pleased  to  try  us. 

Q.  Jesus  gave  thanks  when  He  took  the  five  loaves 
and  two  fishes.     What  are  we  to  learn  from  this? 

A.  We  should  learn  to  do  the  same  when  we  take 
our  meals.     As   the    people   received  the   food   from 


g6  FOURTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT. 

the  hands  of  Christ,  so  also  do  we  receive  it  from 
God  alone  in  the  ordinary  way  of  His  providence, 
for  without  His  blessing  the  earth  would  be  barren 
and  unproductive.  Jesus  then  thanked  the  Eternal 
Father  for  having-  placed  Him  in  such  a  situation  as 
to  provide  for  the  people  by  a  miracle  that  would 
benefit  both  their  souls  and  bodies.  In  the  same 
manner  must  we  thank  God  when  we  are  able  to 
assist  the  poor,  and  the  most  sincere  and  meritorious 
thanksgiving  is  to  be  prompt  and  generous  in  helping 
them  for  God's  sake. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  order  the  fragments  to  be  col- 
lected after  the  people  had  appeased  their  hunger? 

A.  By  this  our  divine  Master  has  taught  us  how 
highly  we  should  prize  all  things  that  come  from 
God.  Besides,  those  fragments  were  an  additional 
proof  of  the  miracle,  and  are  a  lesson  to  pious  people 
not  to  neglect  the  smallest  favors  of  God,  the  inspira- 
tions and  fervor  in  prayer,  the  grace  of  receiving 
the  sacraments,  for  from  the  effects  we  will  better 
learn  the  importance  of  the  helps  we  have  received. 

Q.  What  does  the  miraculous  multiplication  of 
bread  signify,  when  twelve  basketfuls  remained  after 
all  had  eaten? 

A.  Christ  has  promised  the  charitable  that  their 
alms  will  be  abundantly  rewarded,  and  this  fact  of 
the  Gospel  is  a  proof  of  it.  He  distributed  five 
loaves;  each  ate  and  was  satisfied,  and  still  there  re- 
mained twelve  basketfuls  at  His  disposal.  In  the 
same  manner,  if  we  help  our  neighbor  the  the  love  of 
God  our  alms  will  relieve  his  wants,  the  act  will  be 
to  our  advantage,  and  before  God  we  will  gain  a  hun- 
dred-fold. 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    LEN  1 ,    OR     PASSION    SUNDAY.  97 

Q.  Did  the  multitude  want  to  make  Him  king  be- 
cause He  fed  them? 

A.  The  Gospel  tells  us  that  the  people,  on  witness- 
ing the  great  miracle,  thought  of  making  Him  their 
king,  and  this  is  precisely  what  Christ  wants  us  to 
do.  We  have  said  that  this  miracle  was  a  figure  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Now,  w^hen  we  have  approached 
the  Eucharistic  table,  when  we  have  been  fed  with 
the  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  it  is  our  duty  to  pro- 
claim Him  the  King  and  Master  and  Lord  of  our 
affections,  of  our  heart,  and  of  our  whole  self. 

Q.   Why,  then,  did  Jesus  retire  into  the  mountain? 

A.  He  fled  into  the  mountain  because  He  came  not 
to  seek  human  praise  or  earthly  honor.  Let  us  learn 
from  this  to  do  all  the  good  we  can  in  this  life,  but 
not  to  seek  for  reward  on  earth — rather  to  flee  from 
the  applause  and  honor  of  the  world,  because  it  may 
make  us  proud  and  vain,  and  expose  us  to  the  perse- 
cutions of  the  jealous  and  envious,  whose  number  is 
great. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  OF  LENT.  OR  PASSION  SUNDAY. 

Gospel :  St.  John  viii.  46-59. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  the  multitude  of  the  Jews: 
"Which  of  you  shall  convince  Me  of  sin?  If  I  say 
the  truth  to  you,  why  do  you  not  believe  Me?  He  that  is 
of  God  heareth  the  words  of  God.  Therefore  you  hear 
them  not,  because  you  are  not  of  God.  The  Jews  therefore 
answered  andlsaid  to  Him :  Do  not  we  say  well  that  Thou 
art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil  ?  Jesus  answered  :  I  have 
not  a  devil ;  but  I  honor  My  Father,  and  yon  have  dis- 
honored Me.  But  I  seek  not  My  own  glory :  there  is  One 
7 


98  FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    LENT,    OR    TASSION    SUNDAY. 

that  seeketh  and  judgeth.  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you:  if 
any  man  keep  My  word,  he  shall  not  see  death  forever. 
The  Jews  therefore  said :  Now  we  know  that  Thou  hast  a 
devil.  Abraham  is  dead,  and  the  prophets:  and  Thou 
sayest:  If  any  man  keep  My  word,  he  shall  not  taste  death 
forever.  Art  Thou  greater  than  our  father  Abraham,  who 
is  dead?  And  the  prophets  are  dead.  Whom  dost  Thou 
make  Thyself?  Jesus  answered:  If  I  glorify  Myself,  My 
glory  is  nothing.  It  is  My  Father  that  glorifieth  Me,  of 
Whom  you  say  that  He  is  your  God,  and  you  have  not 
known  Him:  but  I  know  Him;  and  if  I  shall  say  that  I 
know  Him  not  I  shall  be  like  to  3^011,  a  liar.  But  I  do 
know  Him,  and  do  keep  His  word.  Abraham  your  father 
rejoiced  that  he  might  see  My  day:  he  saw  it,  and  was 
glad.  The  Jews  therefore  said  to  Him :  Thou  art  not  yet 
fifty  years  old,  and  hast  Thou  seen  Abraham?  Jesus  said 
to  them:  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  before  Abraham  was 
made,  I  am.  They  took  up  stones  therefore  to  cast  at 
Him:  but  Jesus  hid  Himself,  and  went  out  of  the 
temple." 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  affirm  His  innocence  and  defy 
any  one  to  convict  Him  of  sin? 

A.  He  did  it  to  convince  the  Jews  of  their  injustice 
in  refusing  to  believe  His  words  and  His  doctrine. 
When  a  teacher  combines  profound  learning  with  a 
spotless  life  he  has  a  right  to  the  confidence  of  those 
who  hear  Him,  for  as  a  learned  man  there  is  no 
probability  of  his  being  deceived,  and  as  an  honest 
man  no  one  should  suspect  that  he  would  deceive. 
Let  us  also  learn  to  live  up  to  our  teaching,  our  ad- 
vice, and  our  corrections ;  so  that  when  we  reproach 
others,  they  cannot  reproach  us  \vith  inconsistency. 

Q.  Was  it  for  this  reason  that  He  added:  **Why 
do  you  not  believe  Me"? 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    LENT,    OR    PASSION    SUNDAY.  99 

A.  Certainly  it  was.  Up  to  that  time  Christ  had 
given  proof  that  His  teaching  was  full  of  truth  and 
heavenly  wisdom,  and  the  Gospel  says  that  His 
enemies  were  so  convinced  and  overpowered  by  His 
proofs  that  they  had  no  longer  the  courage  to  question 
Him.  On  the  other  hand,  His  life  had  always  been 
so  holy,  prudent,  affable,  and  irreproachable,  that  no 
one  could  accuse  Him  of  the  slightest  transgression  of 
the  law,  or  of  sin.  As  He  had  shown  His  wisdom 
and  His  holiness  of  life,  He  had  a  right  to  be  heard ; 
and  if  the  Jews  did  not  believe  Him,  He  could  justly 
reproach  them  for  their  injustice.  How  many  Chris- 
tians deserve  such  a  reproach  from  Christ! 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  the  sentence  Christ  pro- 
nounced against  the  Jews? 

A.  The  sentence  which  declared  the  Jews  to  be 
strangers  to  God  was  most  just,  and  as  such  it  should 
inspire  us  with  fear.  The  Jews  did  not  believe  in 
Christ  because  they  were  not  guided  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  but  rather  by  their  pride,  envy,  and  hatred ;  but 
what  shall  we  say  of  ourselves  if  we  have  no  inclina- 
tion, no  wish,  to  hear  the  word  of  God?  What  shall 
we  say  if  we  hear  not  or  care  not  for  what  God  teaches 
us  by  the  voice  of  His  priests,  by  His  inspirations, 
etc.  ?  We  must,  then,  acknowledge  that  we  are  not 
guided  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  we  do  not  belong  to 
God,  but  rather  to  the  devil,  like  the  obstinate  Jews. 
May  the  Lord  preserve  us  from  so  great  an  evil ! 

Q.  What  did  the  Jews  do  when  they  heard  that 
terrible  sentence? 

A.  Instead  of  endeavoring  to  be  enlightened  and 
converted,  they  became  still  more  obstinate  in  their 
impiety.     Prompted  by  an  intense   hatred,  they  in- 


lOO  FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    LENT,     OR    PASSION    SUNDAY. 

suited  the  divine  Redeemer  by  calling  Him  a  Samari- 
tan and  one  possessed  by  a  devil.  How  many  Chris- 
tians are  like  the  Jews !  Instead  of  profiting  by  the 
counsel  of  their  confessors,  by  the  sernions  and  in- 
structions of  the  priests,  they  sacrilegiously  insult 
God,  and  call  fanatics  and  impostors  the  ministers 
of  the  Word,  the  heralds  of  His  infinite  mercy  or  of 
His  terrible  justice. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  Christ's  action  in  this 
case? 

A.  Insulted  and  calumniated  as  a  schismatic,  an 
apostate,  and  one  possessed  by  a  devil,  He  could,  like 
Elias,  have  called  fire  from  heaven  to  destroy  His 
enemies,  but  He  preferred  to  give  us  an  example  of 
divine  patience  and  meekness,  and  refrained  from 
saying  any  more  to  them  than  w^hat  the  glory  of  God 
required.  The  charity  of  Jesus  toward  His  enemies 
was  seen  on  this  occasion  in  all  its  greatness,  and  it 
teaches  us  how  we  should  act  w^hen  assailed  by  cal- 
umny and  abuse. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  His  answer? 

A.  Jesus  was  calumniated  as  being  a  Samaritan 
and  possessed  by  a  devil.  To  the  first  accusation  He 
made  no  reply,  because  all  knew  that  it  was  false, 
and  because,  as  St.  Gregory  says,  "  As  the  word 
vSamaritan  signifies  not  only  a  schismatic,  but  also  a 
guardian,"  in  this  latter  sense,  as  the  guardian  of  our 
souls,  He  did  not  resent  this  name,  although  appar- 
ently an  opprobrious  one.  By  so  doing  He  taught 
lis  not  to  reply  to  imputations  that  are  evidently 
false  and  unjust.  He  replied,  however,  to  the  other 
accusation,  because  had  He  been  silent  it  would 
have  been  prejudicial  to  the  mission  He  had  received 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    LENT,    OR  PASSION    SUNDAY.  lOT 

from  His  Father.  In  fact,  how  could  He  have 
preached  the  truth,  how  could  He  be  the  Redeemer 
of  the  world  and  the  mediator  between  God  and  man, 
if  He  were  possessed  by  a  devil?  How  could  the 
future  Christians  believe  in  Him  if  they  knew  He 
was  so  possessed?  The  interests  of  religion,  there- 
fore, required  this  calumny  to  be  refuted,  and  on  this 
account  He  did  refute  it,  but  with  a  meekness  which 
one  possessed  by  a  devil  could  not  have  done.  Let 
us  learn  from  our  divine  Master  to  suffer  false  accu- 
sations for  God's  sake  as  long  as  they  are  not  injurious 
to  our  character  or  to  the  interests  of  religion ;  but 
when  silence  is  detrimental  to  truth,  religion,  or  our 
neighbor,  we  should  speak  out  and  refute  the  false 
accusations,  but  always  with  the  meekness  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

Q.  Why,  then,  did  not  the  Jews  yield  when  He 
assured  them  with  an  oath  that  "  if  any  man  keeps 
My  word  he  shall  not  taste  death  forever  "? 

A.  They  were  so  carnal-minded,  says  St.  Gregory, 
that  they  did  not  understand  Him.  Christ  intended 
to  say  that  whoever  would  faithfully  observe  His  holy 
law  would  preserve  the  life  of  his  soul — his  soul 
would  not  die — but  the  Jews  thought  He  spoke  of 
the  death  of  the  body,  and  that  He  promised  His 
followers  that  they  would  never  suffer  such  a  death. 
Taking  His  word  in  this  sense,  the  blind  Jews  fancied 
that  He  would  have  them  believe  what  was  very 
strange  and  utterly  impossible,  as  Abraham  himself 
had  to  die. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  mean  to  say  by  these  words: 
"  Abraham  rejoiced  that  he  might  see  My  day,  he 
saw  it  and  was  glad  "? 


I02  FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    LENT,    OR    PASSION    SUNDAY. 

A.  Abraham  expected  the  Saviour,  and  God  assured 
him  that  the  Saviour  would  come,  nay,  that  He  would 
be  born  of  one  of  his  descendants.  Abraham  lived 
in  this  faith,  and  in  this  faith  he  died,  because,  rely- 
ing upon  God's  word,  he  saw  with  certainty  in  the 
far  future  that  Christ  by  whom  he  was  to  be  saved. 
If  Abraham  rejoiced  thinking  of  the  expected  Messias, 
how  can  we  remain,  indifferent  when  we  think  of  the 
Saviour  Who  has  come  and  Who  has  made  us  mem- 
bers of  His  body? 

Q.   But  did  the  Jews  understand  these  words? 

A.  Men  who  are  ruled  by  their  passions  cannot  un- 
derstand the  truth ;  hence  the  Jews,  who  were  full  of 
envy  and  hatred,  did  not  understand  these  words: 
they  thought  they  were  strange  and  unpardonable. 
They  understood  Him  to  say  that  he,  as  man,  lived 
in  the  time  of  Abraham  and  was  seen  by  Abraham. 
As  two  thousand  years  had  elapsed  since  Abraham's 
death,  they  thought  this  very  strange.  They  did  not 
think  of  that  vision  which  is  proper  to  faith.  Thus 
one  errs  who  relies  too  much  upon  himself  and  beholds 
things  in  a  light  different  from  that  of  a  Christian. 

Q.  Is  there  not  an  inexactness  in  this  phrase, 
"  Before  Abraham  was  made,  I  am  "? 

A.  No,  there  is  not.  The  phrase  is  perfectly  cor- 
rect. By  these  words  Christ  intended  to  make  known 
to  us  that  He  was  God,  one  with  the  Father  and  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  that  as  God  He  was  eternal  and  stood 
in  need  of  nothing,  and  as  eternity  is  as  one  day 
and  admits  of  no  time.  He  could  truly  say,  "  Before 
Abraham  was  made,  I  am."  St.  Augustine  says: 
"  Know  the  Creator,  and  make  a  distinction  beween 
Him  and  the  creature.     He  Who  spoke,  that  is,  Christ, 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    OF    T,ENT,    OR    PASSION    SUNDAY.  IO3 

according  to  His  humanity  was  a  descendant  of  Abra- 
ham, and  as  God  He  is  eternal  and  existed  before 
Abraham." 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  the  Jews,  who  upon 
hearing  these  words  took  up  stones  to  cast  at   Him? 

A.  We  need  not  be  surprised  at  this.  When  a 
person  is  obstinate  in  his  errors  and  hardened  in  sin, 
he  ends  by  waging  war  against  Christ,  and  attempts 
even,  if  it  were  possible,  to  destroy  Him.  How  many, 
who  are  the  slaves  of  their  passions  and  wish  not  to 
amend  their  lives,  end  by  denying  the  truth  and 
fiercely  attacking  the  gospel?  One  abyss  leads  to 
another,  and  he  who  has  not  the  courage  to  overcome 
himself  will  by  degrees  lose  his  faith,  hate  religion, 
and  not  blush  to  be  publicly  known  as  an  enemy  of 
God. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  learned  from  Christ's  hiding 
Himself  and  going  out  of  the  temple? 

A.  Who  does  not  know  that  the  Divine  blaster, 
Who  had  worked  so  many  miracles,  could  in  a 
moment  have  felled  the  impious  Jews  to  the  ground, 
as  He  afterward  did  the  crowd  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemani,  or  could  He  not  have  treated  them 
worse?  Yet  He  preferred  to  hide  Himself,  and  by  so 
doing  He  taught  us  to  be  meek  and  not  to  resist  the 
powers,  even  when  we  are  sure  of  victory,  in  order 
not  to  still  more  irritate  them  and  to  cause  them  to 
do  us  greater  harm  when  opportunity  offers,  which 
they  surely  will  not  let  escape  them. 


I04  PALM    SUNDAY. 

PALM  SUNDAY, 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xxi.  1-9. 

AT  that  time:  ''  When  they  drew  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  and 
were  come  to  Bethphage,  unto  Mount  Olivet,  then 
Jesus  sent  two  disciples,  saying  to  them :  Go  ye  into  the 
village  that  is  over  against  you,  and  immediately  you 
shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and  a  colt  with  her,  loose  them,  and 
bring  them  to  Me,  and  if  any  man  shall  say  anything  to 
you,  say  ye  that  the  Lord  hath  need  of  them:  and  forth- 
with he  will  let  them  go.  Now  all  this  was  done  that  it 
might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet, saying: 
Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Sion :  Behold  thy  King  cometh 
to  thee,  meek,  and  sitting  upon  an  ass  and  a  colt  the  foal 
of  her  that  is  used  to  the  yoke.  And  the  disciples,  going, 
did  as  Jesus  commanded  them.  And  they  brought  the  ass 
and  the  colt:  and  laid  their  garments  upon  them,  and 
made  Him  sit  thereon.  And  a  very  great  multitude 
spread  their  garments  in  the  way :  and  others  cut  boughs 
from  the  trees,  and  strewed  them  in  the  way:  and  the 
multitudes  that  went  before,  and  that  followed,  cried, 
saying:  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David:  blessed  is  He  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  Hosanna  in  the  highest. " 

Q.  What  place  was  this  Bethphage? 

A.  It  was  a  village  not  far  from  Bethany,  the  resi- 
dence of  Lazarus.  It  was  located  on  the  side  of 
Mount  Olivet,  at  the  head  of  the  famous  valley  of 
Josaphat,  which  from  there  extends  tro  the  Dead 
Sea.  In  this  village  were  kept  the  sheep,  goats,  oxen, 
and  all  the  animals  that  were  sacrificed  in  the  temple 
according  to  the  law.  From  this  place  they  were 
solemnly  led  to  Jerusalem,  entering  by  the  Golden 
Gate. 


PALM    SUNDAY.  I05 

Q.   Is  there  anything-  to  remark  on  this  point? 

A.  It  was  from  this  village  that  Our  Saviour  went  to 
Jerusalem  to  be  crucified  the  following  week,  and  as 
He  was  the  Lamb  that  was  to  be  slaughtered  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world,  the  victim  of  which  all  the 
other  sacrifices  of  the  law  of  Moses  were  only  the 
figure,  He  therefore  wanted  to  go  to  that  place,  walk 
on  the  same  road,  and  enter  the  same  gate  which  was 
entered  by  the  victims  destined  for  the  sacrifice,  and 
on  that  solemn  day  of  the  Paschal  lamb. 

Q.  What  do  the  two  beasts  of  burden  signify  which 
Christ  ordered  His  disciples  to  bring? 

A.  The  old  one,  accustomed  to  work  and  carry 
burdens,  was  a  figure  of  the  Jewish  nation  brought 
up  under  the  yoke  of  the  Old  Law  and  accustomed  to 
carry  the  burden  of  its  observances.  The  colt  that 
was  tied  was  a  figure  of  the  Gentiles,  who  up  to  that 
time  had  lived  according  to  their  will  and  known  no 
restraint.  Christ  sent  His  disciples  to  bring  both 
anim.als,  as  the  apostles  by  preaching  His  resurrection 
and  gospel  would  convert  both  the  Jews  and  the  Gen- 
tiles and  unite  them  in  His  Church  and  make  them 
the  instruments  of  His  glorious  triumph. 

Q.  Had  Christ  any  other  reason  to  use  those  two 
animals  in  entering  Jerusalem? 

A.  He  intended  that  the  prophecy  of  Zachary 
should  be  fulfilled.  This  prophet  long  before  had 
said :  "  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of  Sion !  Shout 
for  joy,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem!  Behold,  thy  King 
will  come  to  thee,  the  Just  and  Saviour.  He  is  poor 
and  riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of 
an  ass."     (Zach.  ix.  9.) 


Io6  PALM    SUNDAY. 

Q.   What  is  to  be  said  on  these  points? 

A.  In  all  this  we  recognize  an  undeniable  proof  of 
the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  of  His  power  and  absolute 
dominion  over  all  things.  God  alone  sees,  because 
present  to  Him,  events  at  a  distance  and  in  the 
future,  even  those  depending  on  free  agencies.  And 
as  Christ  told  the  apostles  with  certainty  what  they 
would  find  in  the  place  to  which  He  sent  them,  He 
gave  a  proof  that  He  could  see  when  He  was  not  per- 
sonally present,  and  that  consequently  He  was  God, 
as  He  declared.  In  regard  to  the  answer  His  apostles 
should  give  the  owner  of  the  animals.  He  gave 
them  to  understand  that,  as  God,  He  was  the  owner 
of  them,  and  that  the  possessor  should  acknowledge 
having  received  them  from  Him  and  should  give 
them  up  to  Him  when  He  required  them.  We  should 
learn  from  this  that  what  we  possess  is  not  really  ours 
but  God's,  from  Whom  we  received  it,  and  that  we  are 
obliged  to  render  it  up  to  Him  when  He  reclaims  it. 

Q.  How  did  there  happen  to  be  so  great  a  multitude 
in  Jerusalem,  and  why  did  they  do  Christ  such  great 
honor? 

A.  Remember  that  on  that  same  day  on  which 
Christ  entered  Jerusalem  the  Paschal  lamb  was  led 
with  great  solemnity  from  Bethphage  to  the  temple. 
It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that  our  divine  Saviour 
should  meet  on  the  same  road  so  many  people. 
Besides,  all  Jerusalem  was  in  excitement  and  wonder 
because  of  the  great  miracle  Jesus  had  but  recently 
worked — the  raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  dead  after 
he  had  been  four  days  in  the  grave.  The  people, 
who  revered  Him  on  account  of  His  other  miracles, 
were  carried  to  the   highest   pitch  of  admiration   by 


PALM    SI'NDAY.  I07 

this  manifestation  of  His  power  over  death.  This 
triumph  of  the  God-man  had  been  foretold,  and  the 
omnipotent  Hand  that  disposes  of  all  things  procured 
its  fulfilment. 

Q.  What  was  the  intention  of  the  multitude  in 
strewing  branches  of  palm  and  olive,  and  spreading 
their  garments  on  the  road  ? 

A.  Naturally  speaking,  we  may  say  that  the 
people,  wishing  to  pay  homage  to  Christ  and  to  make 
His  entry  into  Jerusalem  as  solemn  as  possible,  knew 
no  other  way  of  manifesting  the  feelings  of  their 
hearts.  But  we  must  raise  our  minds  higher,  and 
see  the  hand  of  God  in  things  which  appear  so 
natural  and  accidental.  Jesus  went  to  Jerusalem 
to  be  crucified,  and  by  His  death  to  conquer  hell,  to 
bring  down  upon  men  the  fulness  of  grace,  and  detach 
their  hearts  from  the  things  of  this  world  in  order  to 
direct  them  to  heavenly  things.  Hence  God  so 
willed  it  that  the  great  multitude  should  applaud  the 
triumph  of  the  Redeemer,  and — as  the  Church  says 
on  this  day — with  palms  in  their  hands  they  pro- 
claimed His  victory  over  Satan.  The  olive  branches 
signified  the  oil  of  grace  which  would  be  diffused 
over  the  children  of  redemption.  The  garments 
spread  under  His  feet  signified  the  renunciation  of 
all  earthly  affections  which  the  just  must  make  for 
God's  sake;  for,  according  to  St.  Gregory,  earthly 
affections  are  the  garments  that  entangle  our  souls, 
and  the  better  to  fight  our  spiritual  enemies  we  must 
get  rid  of  them. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 
A.   We  must  learn  not  to  trust  the  world,  to  fear  its 
inconstancy,  and  to  hope  for  reward  from  God  alone. 


Io8  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

To-day  we  behold  Christ  entering  Jerusalem  amidst 
the  hosannas  of  the  people — five  days  later  we  shall 
see  Him  dragged  to  Mount  Calvary  amidst  curses 
and  blasphemies.  To-day  the  people  are  all  love  for 
Him  and  pay  Him  homage — in  a  few  days  we  shall 
see  them  filled  with  hatred,  demanding  His  blood. 
To-day  Christ  crosses  the  valley  of  Josaphat  in  an 
humble  manner,  riding  on  a  beast  of  burden — a  day 
will  come  when,  sitting  upon  the  clouds  and  sur- 
rounded with  glory,  He  will  in  that  same  valley  judge 
the  living  and  the  dead. 

Let  us,  therefore,  learn  not  to  trust  the  world,  which 
quickly  abandons  what  it  once  loved,  and  not  to 
trust  ourselves,  who  are  liable  to  change  at  any 
moment.  Let  us  hope  from  God  the  reward  for  the 
humiliations  we  have  suffered  upon  earth. 


EASTER   SUNDAY. 
Gospel:  St.  Mark  xvi.  1-7. 

AT  that  time:  "Mary  Magdalen,  and  Mary  the  mother 
of  James,  and  Salome,  bought  sweet  spices,  that  com- 
ing they  might  anoint  Jesus.  And  very  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  first  day  of  the  week,  they  came  to  the  sepulchre, 
the  sun  being  now  risen.  And  they  said  one  to  another: 
Who  shall  roll  us  back  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  se- 
pulchre? And  looking,  they  saw  the  stone  rolled  back.  For 
it  was  very  great.  And  entering  into  the  sepulchre,  they 
saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the  right  side,  clothed  with  a 
white  robe:  and  they  were  astonished.  Who  saith  to 
them:  Be  not  affrighted:  you  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
Who  was  crucified.  He  is  risen.  He  is  not  here;  behold 
the  place  where  they  laid  Him.     But  go,  tell  His  disciples 


EASTER    SUNDAY.  1 09 

and  Peter  that  He  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee:  there 
you  shall  see  Him,  as  He  told  you." 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  those  women  who,  all 
alone  and  without  fear,  went  at  that  hour  to  the 
sepulchre? 

A.  It  shows  with  what  truth  a  holy  Father  said : 
"  Perfect  charity  knows  no  fear."  Those  holy  women 
sincerely  loved  Jesus,  and,  wishing  in  some  manner 
to  show  their  fidelity  toward  Him,  they  went  to 
anoint  with  sweet  spices  His  inanimate  body.  We 
ought  to  learn  from  these  pious  women  to  be  cou- 
rageous in  working  for  the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ,  and, 
as  St.  Gregory  says,  "  we  shall  bring  Him  precious 
balm  if  we  serve  Him  with  humility  and  with  mor- 
tification." 

* 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  these  words :  "  They  came 

very  early  in  the  morning,  the  first  day  in  the  week, 
the  sun  being  now  risen"? 

A.  In  regard  to  the  early  hour  they  left  their  homes, 
we  should  admire  their  true  devotion,  which  admitted 
of  no  delay  in  executing  their  good  purpose.  He 
who  sincerely  serves  God  will  never  lose  time ;  he 
abhors  every  delay  that  hinders  him  in  doing  all  he 
can  for  God.  In  regard  to  the  day,  which  was  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  we  are  to  recognize  that  da\'  of 
the  Lord  which  afterward  was  to  be  the  holy  day  of 
the  Christian  Church,  on  which  we  also  should  devote 
ourselves  to  works  of  religion,  and  bring  balm  to 
Jesus  Christ.  Finally,  in  the  fact  that  the  sun  had 
risen,  we  see  that  a  soul  that  sincerely  seeks  the  glory 
of  God  will  never  remain  in  darkness,  ignorance, 
or  doubt,  but  will  always  find  the  light  that  comforts 
and  guides   it  in  all  its   steps.     If,  according  to  the 


no  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

laws  of  nature,  the  sun  had  risen,  it  had  also  risen 
according  to  the  laws  of  grace,  because  Christ  had 
already  risen  from  the  dead,  and  by  His  resurrection 
bestowed  the.  full  light  of  the  gospel,  confirmed  the 
true  faith,  and  brought  the  day  of  life  to  the  whole 
world. 

Q.  Why  did  those  women,  on  their  way  to  the 
sepulchre,  think  only  of  the  stone  with  which  the 
tomb  was  closed,  and  not  of  the  soldiers  who  guarded 
the  tomb? 

A.  These  women  did  not  know  that  soldiers  were 
there,  or  that  the  tomb  was  sealed.  On  Friday  even- 
ing they  had  seen  Joseph  Nicodemus  and  other 
friends  of  Christ  close  the  sepulchre  with  a  large 
stone,  but  they  did  not  know  that  on  the  following 
day,  that  is,  on  the  Sabbath,  the  leaders  of  the  Phari- 
sees, who  did  not  scruple  to  violate  the  sacredness  of 
the  day,  had  sealed  the  stone  and  placed  guards  at 
the  tomb  to  prevent  the  apostles  from  stealing  the 
body.  Hence  the  pious  women  thought  only  of  the 
difficulty  of  removing  the  large  stone,  and  not  of  one 
still  greater — the  soldiers  who  guarded  the  sepulchre 
and  would  prevent  their  approaching.  How  often  do 
we  also  fear  imaginary  difficulties,  and  think  not  of 
the  real  ones  that  would  prevent  us  from  doing  good 
if  God  did  not  remove  them.  Let  us  learn  from  this 
to  pray  to  God  to  remove  with  His  powerful  hand  not 
only  the  obstacles  which  we  know  of,  but  also  those 
which  we  know  not  of. 

Q.  How  can  we  say  that  these  women  did  not  know 
that  the  tomb  was  sealed? 

A.  Though  the  Gospel  says  nothing  of  this,  it  is 
natural  to  suppose  that  they  did  not  know  it.     For,  if 


EASTER    SL'NDAV. 


they  had  known,  they  would  not  conspire  to  break 
the  seals,  on  account  of  their  respect  for  public  au- 
thority ;  besides,  they  would  know  it  was  impossible, 
on  account  of  the  opposition  of  the  guards ;  and  out 
of  respect  for  themselves  they  would  neither  have 
desired  nor  hoped  for  any  favor  from  the  soldiers. 
The  true  lover  of  God  is  always  respectful,  intelligent, 
and  prudent,  and  had  these  pious  women  conspired  to 
break  the  seals,  they  would  have  offended  against  the 
public  authority,  w^hich  the  Divine  Teacher  had  always 
respected.  They  would  have  acted  blindly  in  not 
calculating  on  resistance,  and  they  would  have  been 
imprudent  to  expect  favors  from  idolatrous  soldiers 
who  wxre  no  respecters  of  virtue.  In  addition  to  this 
they  could  not  have  thought  that  those  Pharisees, 
who  found  fault  wdth  Christ  for  w^orking  miracles  o« 
the  Sabbath,  would  themselves  desecrate  the  sanctity 
of  the  Sabbath  by  sealing  the  tomb.  And  lastly,  if 
they  had  faith,  they  should  rather  guard  than  destroy 
the  seals  which  Christ,  in  order  to  increase  His  glory, 
would  Himself  break  by  rising  from  the  tomb,  as  He 
had  so  often  foretold.  From  all  this  we  must  conclude 
that  the  pious  women  did  not  know^  that  the  sepulchre 
had  been  sealed. 

Q.  But  if  they  knew  the  difficulty  of  removing  the 
stone,  w^hy  did  they  continue  their  journey? 

A.  Behold  the  w^ork  of  love !  They  knew  the  dif- 
ficulty, but  they  hoped  to  overcome  it  with  the  divine 
help.  One  who  truly  loves  God  hopes  all  from  God, 
and  his  hopes  are  never  disappointed.  The  women 
came  to  the  sepulchre  and  found  that  the  heavy  stone 
had  been  removed.  Let  us  also  learn  to  advance 
steadily  on  the  w^ay  of  virtue,  and  the  obstacles  which 


112  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

at  a  distance  discourage  us  will  disappear  as  we  ap- 
proach them. 

Q.  What  does  the  Evangelist  intend  by  telling  us 
that  the  women  entered  into  the  sepulchre? 

A.  In  order  to  understand  these  words  we  must 
first  know  how  the  sepulchre  was  made  in  which  the 
body  of  Christ  was  placed.  There  was,  not  far  from 
Mount  Calvary,  a  place  where  Joseph  of  Arimathea 
had,  according  to  the  Venerable  Bede,  prepared  a 
tomb  for  himself ;  he  had  cut  into  the  side  of  a  rock 
and  cleared  a  space  the  size  of  a  small  room,  or  rather 
he  cut  out  a  round  arch,  in  which  a  man  standing 
could  touch  the  roof  with  his  fingers.  The  opening 
of  this  cave  was  rather  small,  and  on  the  east  side ; 
upon  entering,  there  was  on  the  right  side,  that  is, 
toward  the  north,  a  bed  of  marble  seven  feet  long 
and  three  hands  high,  with  an  elevation  at  both  ends. 
Upon  this  bed  of  stone,  on  which  no  one  had  as  yet 
been  placed,  the  body  of  Christ  was  laid,  and,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  Jews,  the  whole  body, 
except  the  head,  was  wrapped  in  fine  linen,  with  the 
spices  brought  by  Nicodemus ;  the  head  was  covered 
with  a  sheet  that  was  fastened  behind  the  shoulders 
and  on  the  breast.  Now  imagine  we  see  those  women, 
who,  having  arrived  at  the  sepulchre,  and  finding  the 
stone  removed,  one  by  one  entered  the  cave,  and  on 
one  side  saw  the  winding-sheets,  and  on  the  marble 
bed  they  saw  a  young  man  full  of  glory ;  and  then  you 
will  understand  what  the  Evangelist  intended  by  say- 
ing they  entered  into  the  sepulchre. 

Q.  Who  was  that  young  man  whom  the  women  saw 
in  the  sepulchre? 

A.  He  was  an  angel,  whose  countenance,  as  St. 
Matthew  relates,  was  as  lightning,  and  his  garments 


EASTER    SLNDA\  .  I  13 

as  white  as  snow.  He  was  seated  on  the  right  hand  to 
indicate  that  the  Divine  Redeemer  had  completed  His 
earthly  career,  and  had  received  the  glory  w^hich  His 
Eternal  Father  had  prepared  for  Him.  His  counte- 
nance was  like  lightning,  because  it  was  terrible  to 
the  enemies  of  Christ;  his  garments  were  white  as 
snow,  on  account  of  his  heavenly  purity.  He  told  the 
women  not  to  fear,  because  he  never  need  fear  who 
goes  in  search  of  Christ,  and  only  those  must  tremble 
who  wage  war  against  Him  by  their  scandalous  man- 
ner of  living. 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  about  the  command  the  angel 
gave  to  the  women? 

A.  The  angel  told  the  women  that  they  should 
immediately  give  notice  to  the  disciples,  and  to  Peter. 
Here  we  should  notice,  first,  the  haste  which  the  aff- 
gel  commanded;  secondly,  the  person  whose  name 
is  mentioned  in  preference  to  others.  It  was  quite 
natural  that  these  pious  women  should  loiter  to  gaze 
on  the  empty  bed  of  stone  upon  which  the  body  of 
Christ  had  reposed,  the  winding-sheets  in  which  His 
sacred  body  had  been  wrapped,  and  the  cloth  that 
had  covered  His  most  adorable  head.  But  the  angel 
commanded  them  not  to  lose  time,  and  to  go  im- 
mediately and  proclaim  the  resurrection  of  Christ. 
Let  us  learn  from  this  that  when  God  is  pleased  to 
send  us  joy  and  consolation  we  must  not  seek  in  them 
our  own  satisfaction  and  pleasure,  but  should  rather 
give  glory  to  God  by  praising  His  infinite  mercy  and 
love,  and  by  acknowledging  our  own  tm worthiness. 
In  regard  to  the  second  point,  of  all  the  apostles  only 
Peter's  name  was  mentioned.  In  this  we  see  a  proof 
of  his  primacy,  and  also  a  strong  reason  for  him  to  re- 
joice in  his  deep  sorrow.  \Vas  not  Peter  the  prince  of 
8 


114  EASTER    SUNDAY. 

the  apostles,  the  foundation  of  the  new-born  Church  ? 
Therefore  to  him  should  be  given  the  joyful  news 
which  established  the  faith  on  a  firm  foundation. 
Was  not  Peter  transfixed  with  sorrow  on  account  of 
his  sin?  Therefore  to  him  as  a  penitent  the  heavenly 
messenger  should  send  the  joyful  tidings  of  Christ's 
resurrection.  Let  us  learn  from  this  angel  to  respect 
our  superiors,  and  to  have  compassion  for  the 
afflicted. 

Q.  Did  the  women  do  promptly  what  they  were  told 
to  do? 

A.  They  went  immediately  to  do  the  angel's  bid- 
ding, but,  as  St.  Matthew  relates,  on  their  way  they 
met  Jesus  Himself,  Who  said  to  them :  "  All  hail ! 
Fear  not,  but  go  tell  My  brethren  that  they  go  into 
Galilee;  there  they  will  see  Me." 

Q.   Were  the  pious  women  the  first  to  see  Christ? 

A.  They  w^ere.  God  makes  no  distinction  of  sex, 
age,  or  state  of  life.  He  who  first  goes  in  search  of 
Christ  with  the  fervor  of  charity,  with  devotion  and 
the  balm  of  holy  virtue,  will  be  the  first  to  receive 
His  special  favors. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  on  this  occasion  call  His  disci- 
ples His  brethren  ? 

A.  With  the  exception  of  St. John,  the  conduct  of 
the  apostles  during  His  passion  was  such  that  Christ 
had  reason  to  be  displeased  with  them ;  but  in  His 
great  charity  He  had  compassion  on  their  weakness, 
and  still  loved  them;  and,  in  order  to  console  and  en- 
courage them.  He  sends  His  greeting  to  them,  and 
calls  them  by  the  endearing  name  brethren.  Besides, 
by  the  death  of  Christ  all  Christians  are  the  adopted 
children  of  the  Eternal  Father,  and  brethren  of  Jesus 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER.  II5 

Christ.  After  so  great  an  event,  this  was  the  first 
time  that  a  human  eye  had  seen  Him ;  hence  for  the 
first  time  He  greets  us  all  by  that  endearing  name, 
giving  us  thereby  to  understand  that  by  the  merits  of 
His  death  we  have  acquired  a  new  standing,  merited 
a  new  name,  and  have  become  His  brethren.  O  God ! 
we  are  but  worms  of  the  earth,  but  by  Thy  mercy  we 
are  the  brethren  of  Jesus  Christ. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER   EASTER. 

Gospel:  St.  John  xx.  19-31. 

AT  that  time:  "  When  it  was  late  that  same  day,  the  first 
of  the  week,  and  the  doors  were  shut  where  the  dis- 
ciples were  gathered  together  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  Jesus 
came  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said  to  them :  Peace  be 
to  you.  And  when  He  had  said  this  He  showed  them 
His  hands  and  His  side.  The  disciples  therefore  were 
glad  when  they  saw  the  Lord.  He  said  therefore  to 
them  again:  Peace  be  to  you.  As  the  Father  hath  sent 
Me,  I  also  send  you.  When  He  had  said  this  He  breathed 
on  them;  and  He  said  to  them:  Receive  ye  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Whose  sins  you  shall  forgive,  they  are  forgiven 
them :  and  whose  sins  you  shall  retain,  they  are  retained. 
Now  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  who  is  called  Didymus, 
was  not  with  them  when  Jesus  came.  The  other  disciples 
therefore  said  to  him :  We  have  seen  the  Lord.  But  he 
said  to  them:  Except  I  shall  see  in  His  hands  the  print  of 
the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the  place  of  the  nails, 
and  put  my  hand  into  His  side,  I  will  not  believe.  And 
after  eight  days  again  His  disciples  were  within,  and 
Thomas  with  them.  Jesus  cometh,  the  doors  being  shut, 
and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said :  Peace  be  to  you.     Then 


It6  first    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

He  saith  to  Thomas:  Put  in  thy  finger  hither,  and  see  My 
hands;  and  bring  hither  thy  hand  and  put  it  into  My  side: 
and  be  not  faithless  but  believing.  Thomas  answered,  and 
said  to  Him:  My  Lord  and  my  God.  Jesus  saith  to  him: 
Because  thou  hast  seen  Me,  Thomas,  thou  hast  believed : 
blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen  and  have  believed. 
Many  other  signs  also  did  Jesus  in  the  sight  of  His  dis- 
ciples which  are  not  written  in  this  book.  But  these  are 
written  that  you  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  the 
vSon  of  God;  and  that  believing  you  may  have  life  in  His 
name." 

Q.  If  the  doors  of  the  room  were  closed,  how  did 
Christ  enter? 

A.  We  must  know,  says  St.  Augustine,  that  God 
can  do  many  things  which  we  cannot  understand. 
As  Jesus  while  yet  mortal  could  walk  on  the  water 
without  sinking,  and  as  He  was  able  without  being 
seen  or  touched  to  pass  among  those  who  wished  to 
cast  Him  from  the  precipice  and  to  stone  Him  in  the 
temple,  so  after  His  glorious  resurrection  He  could 
pass  through  closed  doors  and  enter  the  room  with- 
out difficulty.  All  is  explained  by  the  power  of 
Christ,  true  God  and  true  man. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  infer  from  the  fact  of  the  doors 
being  closed? 

A.  As  our  senses  are  the  doors  of  the  soul,  we  infer 
that  when  these  senses  are  closed  to  things  of  the 
world  Jesus  will  enter  into  our  souls  and  say :  "  Peace 
be  to  you."  Let  us,  then,  close  our  eyes  in  order  not 
to  see  the  vanities  of  the  world,  our  ears  not  to  hear 
them  spoken  of,  and  our  lips  in  order  not  to  speak 
useless  and  evil  words,  and  Jesus  will  come  into  our 
hearts  and  announce  peace  to  us. 


FIRST    SL'XDAV    AFIKR    EASTER.  II7 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  these  words  of  Christ: 
"  Peace  be  to  you"? 

A.  By  these  sweet  words  Jesus  announced  the  inef- 
fable fruit  of  His  passion,  which  was  peace  between 
God  and  ourselves.  He  exhorts  the  apostles  not  to 
be  disturbed  by  the  malice  of  men,  and  invites  them 
to  confide  in  Him,  and  not  to  think  that  He  is  dis- 
pleased with  them  on  account  of  their  weakness  and 
unfaithfulness  shown  during  His  passion.  Let  us 
beseech  God  that  we  also  may  experience  the  effect 
of  these  words,  and  enjoy  peace  with  Him,  with  our 
neighbors,  and  with  ourselves. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  after  His  resurrection  retain  the 
wounds  in  His  hands,  feet,  and  side? 

A.  Those  wounds  did  not  disfigure  the  glorious 
members  of  His  body,  but  rather  increased  th^r 
beauty,  and  He  retained  them  in  order  to  show  that  it 
was  by  suffering  that  He  purchased  His  present  glory, 
to  confirm  the  truth  of  His  passion  and  of  His  resur- 
rection, to  excite  continually  our  gratitude,  and  to 
incessantly  present  to  the  eyes  of  His  Eternal  Father 
the  price  of  our  souls. 

Q.  How  are  we  to  understand  these  words:  "As 
the  Father  hath  sent  Me,  I  also  send  you"? 

A.  These  words  prove  the  legitimate  authority  of 
the  apostles,  the  scope  of  their  mission,  and  the  man- 
ner and  love  with  which  they  should  accomplish  it.  As 
Christ  was  sent  on  earth  by  the  Eternal  Father,  abso- 
lute IMaster  of  all  things,  so,  in  like  manner,  the  apos- 
tles were  sent  by  Christ,  in  Whose  hand  is  placed  all 
power  on  earth  and  in  heaven.  Christ  taught  the 
world  by  His  doctrines.  His  miracles,  and  His  exam- 
ple, and  the  apostles  w^ere  to  do  and  have  done  in  like 


Il8  FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

manner.  Lastly,  Christ  completed  His  mission  on 
earth  by  a  continual  prodigy  of  love,  and  the  apostles 
and  their  successors  should  always  be  guided  by  a 
similar  love  in  all  their  actions. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  on  this  occasion  impart  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  the  apostles? 

A.  Notice  that  when  Christ  had  said,  "  Receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  He  immediately  added:  "Whose 
sins  you  shall  forgive,  they  are  forgiven."  He  there- 
fore imparted  the  Holy  Ghost  to  the  apostles  in  order 
to  enable  them  to  exercise  with  effect  the  judging  of 
consciences.  They  were  in  the  name  of  God  to  retain 
or  to  forgive  sins,  and  Christ  endowed  them  with  His 
own  spirit  for  so  exalted  a  ministry ;  they  were  to  com- 
municate this  same  Holy  Ghost  to  all  their  successors, 
that  is,  to  the  Bishops  and  Priests,  in  order  that  the  au- 
thority received  from  Him  should  be  exercised  till  the 
end  of  the  world. 

Q.  What  are  w^e  to  think  of  the  incredulity  of 
Thomas? 

A.  He  unfortunately  sinned.  He  should  have  be- 
lieved that  Christ  was  not  wanting  in  the  power  to 
fulfil  the  promises  made  regarding  His  resurrection. 
He  should  have  believed  the  testimony  of  the  apos- 
tles, and  had  less  confidence  in  himself  and  more  in 
his  Divine  Master.  His  incredulity,  however,  has 
assisted  powerfull}^  the  Church,  because  it  shows 
that  the  apostles  were  not  hasty  in  believing  the  res- 
urrection of  the  Master,  but  that  they  believed  that 
wonderful  event  by  the  force  of  evidence. 

Q.   What  signifies  the  eighth  day,  on  which  Christ 
wished  Thomas  to  put  his  finger  into  His  wounds? 
A.  This  eighth  day  signifies  that  great  day  when  in 


SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER.  II9 

heaven  we  shall  see  with  our  own  eyes  and  touch  with 
our  own  hands  the  sacred  fountains  of  our  salvation. 
Hence,  in  order  to  obtain  so  great  a  happiness,  let  us 
now  promptly  and  sincerely  believe  all  that  the  le- 
gitimate ministers  of  Christ  teach  us  relating  to  life 
eternal.  Let  us  not  be  so  presumptuous  as  to  con- 
stitute ourselves  the  judges  in  matters  of  faith,  and 
let  us  remember  that  the  Divine  Redeemer  called 
those  blessed  who  have  not  seen  and  have  believed. 

Q.  And  how  may  we  also  rejoice  in  that  peace  an- 
nounced to  the  apostles? 

A.  We  also  can  enjoy  that  peace  if,  with  the  grace 
of  God  obtained  through  Christ,  we  study  to  keep 
in  peace  with  God,  by  avoiding  sin ;  in  peace  with 
our  neighbor,  by  loving  him  with  true  charity  and 
suffering  with  patience  his  defects ;  and  in  peace 
with  ourselves,  by  being  contented  with  our  condition 
in  life,  and  limiting  the  desires  of  our  heart. 


SECOND   SUNDAY  AFTER   EASTER. 
Gospel:  St.  John  X.  11-16. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  the  Pharisees :  "  I  am  the  Good 
Shepherd.  The  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for 
his  sheep.  But  the  hireling  and  he  that  is  not  the  shep- 
herd, whose  own  the  sheep  are  not,  seeth  the  wolf  com- 
ing, and  leaveth  the  sheep  and  flieth :  and  the  wolf  catcheth 
and  scattereth  the  sheep.  And  the  hireling  flieth,  because 
he  is  a  hireling,  and  he  hath  no  care  for  the  sheep.  I  am 
the  Good  Shepherd:  and  I  know  Mine,  and  Mine  know 
Me.  As  the  Father  knoweth  ]^Ie,  and  I  know  the  Father: 
and  I  lay  down  My  life  for  ]\ly  sheep.  And  other  sheep 
I  have,  that  are  not  of  this  fold :  them  also  I  must  bring, 


I20  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

and  they  shall  hear  My  voice,  and  there  shall  be  one  fold 
and  one  shepherd. " 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  call  Himself  the  Good  Shepherd  ? 

A.  God  had  said  by  the  mouth  of  Ezechiel :  "  I  will 
set  up  one  shepherd  over  them,  and  he  shall  feed 
them,  even  My  servant  David :  he  shall  feed  them, 
and  he  shall  be  their  shepherd  "  (xxxiv.  23).  Accord- 
ing to  an  eloquent  commentator  the  above  words 
mean:  "I  will  set  up  one  shepherd.  .  .  .  David 
will  be  this  shepherd,  not  David  who  is  dead,  but 
that  David  Who  was  expected  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world,  and  Whom  all  the  prophets  have  foretold; 
He  Who  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  is  often  called  by 
the  name  of  His  royal  ancestor.  I  speak  of  the  Re- 
deemer of  mankind,  of  the  Redeemer  of  the  world, 
of  Him  Who  gathers  all  My  sheep  into  the  great 
fold  of  the  Church,  whose  boundaries  are  the  confines 
of  the  earth.  .  .  .  My  son,  born  of  My  own  sub- 
stance, equal  to  Me  in  all  things,  Who  assumed  the 
form  of  a  servant  from  the  blood  of.  David,  He  will 
come  to  feed  My  new  people,  to  govern  them,  to  de- 
fend them,  and  to  be  a  faithful  and  loving  shepherd 
to  them."  Hence,  when  Christ  said,  ''I  am  the  Good 
Shepherd,"  His  intention  was  to  formally  announce  to 
His  hearers,  and  at  the  same  time  to  the  whole  world, 
that  He  was  the  Shepherd  promised  by  the  Eternal 
Father,  that  is,  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,  Who, 
becoming  man,  and  Who  as  man  was  of  the  house  of 
David,  would  teach  the  whole  world,  and  gather  all 
nations  into  the  one  fold  of  His  Church.  Hence  the 
Jews  were  guilty  in  not  recognizing  Him.  In  vain  do 
they  even  now  expect  Him;  and  we  are  the  fortunate 
ones  who  by  the  grace  of    God  acknowledge  Jesus 


SECOND    SUNDAY     AFTER    EASTER.  121 

Christ  to  be  the  only  Shepherd  Who  was  promised  and 
announced  in  all  the  prophecies. 

Q.  Why  does  Christ  say  that  the  good  shepherd 
gives  his  life  for  his  sheep? 

A.  Here  Christ  describes  a  good  shepherd  in  order 
to  make  it  known  that  He  must  be  acknowledged  as 
such.  The  good  shepherd  who  cares  for  his  sheep 
leads  them  to  good  pastures,  he  leads  them  to  the  water 
to  quench  their  thirst,  and  to  defend  them  from  the 
wolf  he  will  expose  his  own  life;  for  at  beholding 
the  wolf  he  flies  to  the  spot  armed  with  his  staff  and 
followed  by  his  dogs,  and  gives  battle  to  the  ferocious 
brute  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life.  Now  Jesus  has 
done  the  vsame  for  us,  only  in  a  more  sublime  man- 
ner. He  loved  us  with  so  great  a  love  as  to  assurne 
the  form  of  a  servant ;  He  led  us  on  the  way  of  virtue 
by  His  own  example ;  He  feeds  us  with  His  holy  doc- 
trine, with  His  grace,  and  with  His  ovrn  flesh;  He 
quenches  our  thirst  at  the  fountains  of  the  holy  sac- 
raments, and  to  save  us  from  the  infernal  dragon  He 
took  up  His  cross,  went  to  encounter  the  enemy, 
sacrificed  His  own  life,  and  by  His  ministers  He  con- 
tinually protects  us  from  the  attacks  of  him  who 
threatens  us  with  death. 

Q.   Why  did  Christ  describe  the  hireling? 

A.  By  so  doing  He  in  the  first  place  proves  that 
He  is  the  Good  Shepherd,  because  the  qualities  of 
the  hireling  cannot  be  applied  to  Him,  inasmuch  as  He 
has  shown  that  His  conduct  was  quite  different  from 
that  of  a  man  who  does  his  work  for  gain,  pride,  and 
self-love.  In  the  second  place.  He  has  taught  His 
ministers  what  they  should  be  to  the  sheep  under  their 
care,  and  how,  by  examining    the    motive    of    their 


122  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

actions,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  perform 
them,  they  can  judge  whether  they  are  good  shep- 
herds, zealous  for  the  welfare  of  souls,,  or  whether 
they  are  hirelings  who  in  all  things  seek  themselves. 

Q.  Why  does  Christ  say  that  He  knows  His  sheep 
and  that  they  know  Him? 

A.  A  good  shepherd  knows  each  of  his  sheep  in 
particular,  and  calls  it  by  name.  Hence  he  knows 
which  are  the  best,  the  indifferent,  and  the  poorest, 
he  knows  which  are  the  strong,  the  fruitful,  and  the 
defective,  and  when  one  goes  astray  he  immediately 
knows  it  and  goes  in  search  of  it.  He  provides  for 
the  weak,  and  carries  on  his  shoulders  the  sick. 
Christ  is  all  this  in  regard  to  us,  His  fortunate  sheep. 
He  know^s  each  individual  soul,  its  qualities,  its  merits, 
its  defects,  and  its  wants.  If  it  goes  astray  He  merci- 
fully seeks  it ;  if  it  is  weak  He  assists  it  Himself,  and 
helps  it  by  His  ministers ;  if  it  is  sick  He  treats  it 
with  His  holy  sacraments.  In  a  word.  He  lovingly 
provides  for  all  its  wants. 

Q.   What  is  to  be  said  of  the  sheep  that  know  Him? 

A.  The  sheep  know  their  shepherd  by  his  coun- 
tenance, his  voice,  and  his  call;  hence  if  they  hear 
him  they  obey,  they  remain  where  they  are,  or  they 
come  to  him,  according  as  he  may  order;  if  the  wolf 
comes  they  run  to  the  shepherd  for  protection,  and  he 
places  himself  at  their  head  and  sets  the  dogs  on 
the  aggressor.  Lastly,  the  sheep,  w^ho  fear  all  else, 
have  no  fear  of  their  shepherd ;  they  permit  him  to 
take  them,  to  shear  and  handle  them  as  he  pleases. 
In  the  same  manner  do  the  true  Christians  know 
Jesus  Christ  by  His  virtues.  His  commands,  His 
voice,  and    even    by    His    chastisements.     Whether 


SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER.  1 23 

favored,  called,  or  chastised,  tliey  know  whence  all 
comes.  Let  us  always  look  up  to  Christ,  let  us  con- 
fide in  Him,  have  recourse  to  Him,  and  patiently 
receive  from  His  hand  all  that  afflicts  us. 

Q.  What  did  Jesus  mean  when  He  said :  "  As  the 
Father  knoweth  Me,  and  I  know  the  Father:  and  I 
lay  down  My  life  for  My  sheep"? 

A.  According  to  St.  Cyril,  Christ  intended  to  say 
that  as  the  Father  knows  Him  to  be  His  Son,  consub- 
stantial  with  Himself,  and  the  first-born  of  the  elect, 
in  the  same  manner  does  He  know  God  as  His 
Father  Who  loves  Him,  and  by  loving  Him  loves  all 
His  adopted  children,  and  that  in  the  same  manner 
does  He  know  His  sheep  as  His  members  and  the  ob- 
ject of  His  love,  and  His  sheep  know  Him  to  be  their 
Shepherd,  their  Head  and  the  Source  of  their  lif^ 
On  account  of  this  knowledge  He  laid  down  His  life 
for  His  sheep,  and  they  know  that  it  was  sacrificed 
for  their  welfare.  Would  to  God  that  we  had  a 
lively  knowledge  of  this!  Our  gratitude  would  be 
more  sincere  and  efficacious,  and  our  lives  more  holy. 

Q.  Of  whom  did  Jesus  speak  w^hen  He  said  that 
He  had  other  sheep  that  He  would  bring  into  the  fold  ? 

A.  He  spoke  of  the  Gentiles  who  did  not  then  belong 
to  His  flock,  but  who  through  the  apostles  would  hear 
His  voice,  know  the  truth,  embrace  the  faith,  and  by 
baptism  enter  the  Church,  so  that  the  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles would  form  but  one  people  and  He  would  be  the 
loving  Father  of  all,  and  thus  there  would  be  only 
one  fold  and  one  shepherd. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  all  this? 
A.   First,  what  a  great  happiness  it  is  to  belong  to 
a  shepherd  so  loving,  powerful,  and  solicitous  for  our 


124  THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 

salvation.  Secondly,  we  should  constantly  thank 
our  good  God  for  His  great  mercy.  Lastly,  we 
should  show  ourselves  loving  and  obedient  sheep. 
And  as  the  sheep  repay  the  shepherd  for  his  care  and 
labor  in  their  behalf,  so  should  we,  by  our  affections, 
good  works,  and  resignation  to  the  dispositions  of 
Divine  Providence,  repay  in  a  manner  the  sacrifices 
which  Christ  underwent  for  us. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER   EASTER. 

Gospel:  St.  John  xvi.  16-22. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "A  little 
while,  and  you  shall  not  see  Me;  and  again  a 
little  while,  and  you  shall  see  Me:  because  I  go  to  the 
Father.  Then  some  of  His  disciples  said  one  to  another: 
What  is  this  that  He  saith  to  us:  A  little  while,  and  you 
shall  not  see  Me :  and  again  a  little  while,  and  you  shall  see 
Me,  and,  because  I  go  to  the  Father?  They  said  therefore : 
What  is  this  that  He  saith,  A  little  while?  We  know  not 
what  He  speaketh.  And  Jesus  knew  that  they  had  a  mind 
to  ask  Him,  and  He  said  to  them :  Of  this  do  you  inquire 
among  yourselves,  because  I  said:  A  little  while,  and  you 
shall  not  see  Me;  and  again  a  little  while,  and  you  shall 
see  Me?  Amen,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  that  you  shall  lament 
and  weep,  but  the  world  shall  rejoice;  and  you  shall  be 
made  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow  shall  be  turned  into  joy. 
A  woman,  when  she  is  in  labor,  hath  sorrow,  because  her 
hour  is  come:  but  when  she  hath  brought  forth  the  child, 
she  remembereth  no  more  the  anguish,  for  joy  that 
a  man  is  born  into  the  world.  So  also  you  now  indeed 
have  sorrow,  but  I  will  see  you  again,  and  your  heart 
shall  rejoice:  and  your  joy  no  man  shall  take  from 
you. " 


THIRD    SUXDAY     AFTER    EASTER.  1 25 

Q.  When  and  why  did  Jesus  say  this  to  the 
apostles? 

A.  Our  Saviour  said  these  words  to  the  apostles  a 
few  hours  before  His  passion,  that  is,  shortly  after 
the  Last  Supper  and  before  He  left  the  supper  room 
to  go  to  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani.  He  spoke  to 
them  in  this  manner  to  console  them  for  the  suffer- 
ings they  were  to  endure  during  His  passion  and  for 
preaching  the  gospel. 

Q.  But  if  He  intended  to  console  them,  why  did 
He  speak  in  a  way  they  did  not  understand? 

A.  Admire  in  this  the  loving  solicitude  of  Jesus. 
To  console  one  in  affliction  the  most  natural  and  most 
efficacious  means  is  to  draw  the  mind  from  the  subject 
of  one's  sufferings,  and  this  is  done  by  occupying 
the  mind  with  something  else.  He  spoke  to  th^ 
apostles  in  this  obscure  manner  to  draw  their  atten- 
tion from  the  sufferings  which  He  foretold,  and  that 
He  succeeded  we  see  from  the  fact  that  they  began 
to  discuss  His  meaning  and  lost  sight,  for  the  time 
being,  of  those  sufferings.  Jesus  also  wished  to  con- 
vince them  of  His  divinity,  by  showing  them  that 
He  knew  their  thoughts. 

Q.  What  do  these  words  signify:  "A  little  while, 
and  you  shall  not  see  Me;  and  again  a  little  while, 
and  you  shall  see  Me"? 

A.  According  to  the  Jewish  method  of  computing 
time,  the  day  ended  at  sunset,  when  the  following 
day  began.  Now^  while  we  say  that  the  Last  Supper 
took  place  on  Thursday  evening,  according  to  the 
Jewish  time  it  took  place  early  on  Friday,  because 
it  was  after  sunset  on  Thursday.  Hence  Christ's 
words,  "A  little  while,'"  etc.,  were  said  on  the  same 


126  THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

day  on  which  He  was  crucified.  They  would  there- 
fore see  Him  only  a  short  time  longer,  because  at 
three  o'clock  that  day  He  would  die  on  the  cross. 
But  as  on  the  third  day  after  His  death  He  was  to 
rise  from  the  dead,  they  would  see  Him  again.  Ac- 
cording to  St.  Augustine,  these  words,  "A  little 
while,"  mean  the  whole  life-time,  as  if  Christ  meant 
to  say  that  after  a  while  He  would  go  to  the  Father, 
and  they  would  not  see  Him  again  until  after  their 
death,  when  they  would  see  Him  and  share  His  joy 
and  glory,  of  which  no  one  could  ever  deprive  them. 

Q.  How  do  you  explain  these  words :  "  You  shall 
lament  and  weep,  but  the  world  shall  rejoice;  and 
you  shall  be  made  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow  shall  be 
turned  into  joy"? 

A.  St.  John  Chrysostom  says  that  Christ  intended 
to  say :  "  After  a  little  while,  nay,  after  a  few  hours,  you 
will  behold  Me  taken  prisoner,  tied,  crucified,  dead, 
and  buried.  And  you,  My  disciples,  will  Aveep  and 
m.ourn  on  account  of  what  has  befallen  Me ;  and  in  the 
meantime  My  enemies  will  rejoice  for  having  suc- 
ceeded in  overcoming  Me.  But  after  a  little  while, 
when  I  shall  have  risen  gloriously  from  the  grave, 
your  sorrow  will  be  changed  into  joy  at  beholding 
My  triumph,  and  the  rejoicing  of  My  enemies  will  be 
turned  into  shame,  disgrace,  and  despair."  But  St. 
Augustine,  applying  these  words  to  the  time  we  live 
on  this  earth,  explains  them  as  if  Christ  meant  to 
say:  "After  My  ascension  into  heaven  you,  My 
apostles,  will  weep  and  be  sorrowful  through 
preaching  My  law  and  the  gospel,  because  you  will 
be  the  target  for  the  rage  and  enmity  of  the  perse- 
cutors, and  the  worldlings  will  rejoice  over  your 
sufferings  and  your  death ;  but  after  the  short  time 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER.  127 

that  this  world  will  last  I  shall  come  to  judge  the 
living  and  the  dead,  and  then  your  sorrow  will  be 
turned  into  joy  and  eternal  glory,  and  the  insane 
rejoicings  of  the  wicked  will  be  changed  into  con- 
fusion, sorrow,  and  misery,  which  Vvdll  never  have  an 
end." 

Q.   Are  these  words  of  Christ  addressed  to  us? 

A.  They  are,  and  to  all  good  Christians,  if  we  take 
them  in  the  sense  as  explained  by  St.  Augustine.  The 
Divine  Redeemer  has  positively  declared  that  the  cross 
is  necessary  for  us,  and  that  His  faithful  followers 
will  weep  and  mourn  in  this  world,  and  enjoy  eternal 
happiness  in  heaven,  so  that  all  they  suffered  on 
earth  will  be  turned  into  joy.  St.  Jerome  says:  **  It 
is  impossible  for  man  to  be  happy  both  on  earth  and 
in  heaven ;  it  is  impossible  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of^ 
this  world  and  those  of  heaven ;  it  is  impossible  to 
pass  from  the  joys  of  the  present  life  to  the  joys  of 
life  eternal."  He  who  mourns  on  earth  will  rejoice 
in  heaven,  and  he  who  laughs  and  is  merry  in  the 
world  will  weep  in  hell. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  wish  to  teach  by  the  example 
of  the  woman  who  rejoices  when  the  child  is  born  ? 

A.  Every  child  is  the  cause  of  great  anxiety  and 
labor  to  its  mother;  but  she  feels  great  joy  and  finds 
great  delight  in  her  child,  she  loves  it  tenderly,  and 
would  not  give  it  for  the  whole  world.  Such  was  the 
joy  the  Divine  Master  promised  His  disciples  after  the 
great  labors  and  sufferings  of  their  apostolate.  Jesus 
reigning  gloriously  in  heaven  was  to  be  the  reward  of 
all  their  sufferings,  the  delight  of  their  hearts,  and 
their  joy  for  all  eternity. 

Q.   How  can  we  apply  all  this  to  ourselves? 


128  FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

A.  We  must  know  that  if  we  are  faithful  followers 
and  true  friends  of  Christ,  we  may  expect  sorrow, 
tribulations,  and  sufferings  here  on  earth,  but  that  all 
this  will  be  for  our  greater  glory  and  joy' in  heaven. 
We  are  now  mourning  like  Joseph  in  the  pit  and  in 
prison,  but  a  day  will  come  when  our  joy  will  be 
greater  than  his  was  when  he  was  raised  to  the 
throne,  and  we  will -see  that  our  humiliations  and 
sufferings  have  been  as  so  many  steps  by  which  we 
arrived  at  the  height  of  happiness,  and  to  the  pos- 
session of  a  kingdom  which  no  one  can  ever  take 
from  us. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   EASTER. 

Gospel:  St.  John  xvi.  5-14. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "  I  go  to  Him 
that  sent  Me,  and  none  of  you  asketh  Me:  Whither 
goest  Thou?  But  because  I  have  spoken  these  things  to 
you  sorrow  hath  filled  your  heart.  But  I  tell  you  the 
truth :  it  is  expedient  to  you  that  I  go,  for  if  I  go  not,  the 
Paraclete  will  not  come  to  you ;  but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  Him 
to  you.  And  when  He  is  come,  He  will  convince  the  world 
of  sin,  and  of  justice,  and  of  judgment.  Of  sin:  because 
they  believed  not  in  Me.  And  of  justice:  because  I  go  to 
the  Father,  and  you  shall  see  Me  no  longer.  And  of  judg- 
ment: because  the  prince  of  this  world  is  already  judged. 
I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  to  you :  but  you  cannot  bear 
them  now.  But  when  He,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come. 
He  will  teach  you  all  truth ;  for  He  shall  not  speak  of 
Himself,  but  what  things  soever  He  shall  hear  He  shall 
speak,  and  the  things  that  are  to  come  He  shall  show  you. 
He  shall  glorify  Me,  because  He  shall  receive  of  Mine, 
and  shall  show  it  to  you." 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTKR  EASTER.  I  29 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  say  to  the  apostles  that  He  was 
going  to  the  Father? 

A.  From  the  beginning  of  this  discourse  which 
He  had  with  the  apostles  at  the  Last  Supper,  Christ 
had  said  that  He  was  going  away,  but  no  one  knew 
whither  He  was  goinsf,  and  no  one  asked  Him.  He,  in 
thus  speaking,  wished  them  to  understand  that  the 
time  had  come  when  He  should  leave  them,  because 
He  was  going  to  His  crucifixion  and  death,  after 
which,  having  proved  His  glorious  resurrection  by 
frequently  appearing  to  them.  He  would  be  taken  up 
before  their  eyes  into  heaven  to  sit  at  the  right  hand 
of  His  Father. 

Q.  Did  Christ  intend  that  the  apostles  should  ask 
Him  to  tell  in  plain  words  where  He  was  going? 

A.  Certainly.  He  wished  them  to  ask  Him  whither 
He  was  going,  because  when  they  would  hear  that 
by  means  of  His  passion  and  death  He  would  go  to 
His  glory  and  the  possession  of  His  kingdom,  and 
when  they  would  know  the  graces  and  recompenses 
He  would  obtain  for  them  from  His  Father,  they 
would  be  in  great  part  consoled  for  their  painful 
separation  from  Him. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  say  to  His  apostles  that  filled 
their  hearts  w^ith  sorrow? 

A.  Christ  had  just  told  them  that  He  could  re- 
main with  them  but  a  short  time,  and  they  could  not 
follow  Him  whither  He  was  going;  and  now  He  an- 
nounced to  them  that  after  His  departure  they  would 
be  persecuted,  and  their  persecutors  would  imagine 
that  they  were  serving  God  in  putting  them  to 
death.  The  departure  of  their  blaster,  and  the  pre- 
diction of  the  sufferings  to  which  they  were  to  be 
9 


130  FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

exposed,    increased    the    sadness  of   their    yet    weak 
hearts. 

Q.   Did  not  Jesus  console  them? 

A.  He  abundantly  consoled  them  by  adding:  "I 
tell  you  the  truth:  it  is  expedient  to  you  that  I  go;" 
as  if  He  intended  to  say  that  they  were  equally  mis- 
taken if  they  felt  sorry  because  He  was  about  to 
leave  them,  inasmuch  as  it  was  for  their  own  bene- 
fit, for  He  would  send  them  the  Holy  Ghost,  Who 
Vv^ould  not  come  if  He  did  not  ascend  into  heaven  in 
order  to  send  Him.  To  understand  how  consoling 
these  words  were  to  the  apostles  it  is  necessary  to 
know  that  Paraclete  means  Consoler,  and  hence  when 
Jesus  promised  them  the  Divine  Paraclete  they  had 
nothing  to  fear  on  account  of  the  absence  of  their 
Divine  Master  or  the  persecutions  of  their  enemies. 

Q.  What  sin  was  that  of  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
would  convince  the  world? 

A.  Our  Divine  Master  indicated  what  this  sin  was 
by  saying,  "because  they  believed  not  in  Me."  In 
spite  of  all  the  proofs,  the  Jews  did  not  acknowledge 
Jesus  as  the  expected  Messias,  and  the  Gentiles  did 
not  even  think  of  Him,  nor  had  they  so  far  accepted 
His  doctrine.  The  Jews  therefore  sinned  by  their  in- 
credulity, their  obstinacy,  and  their  injustice,  and  these 
sins  were  the  cause  of  many  others,  especially  that 
of  hatred,  of  envy,  and  of  murder.  The  Gentiles  on 
the  other  hand  were  engulfed  in  the  mire  of  their 
passions  without  knowing  their  miserable  condition. 
But  after  the  Holy  Ghost  had  bestowed  His  gifts 
on  the  apostles  the  world  would  know  the  injustice 
of  the  Jews  and  the  guilt  of  the  Gentiles;  then  the 
whole  world  would    be    convinced    that    Christ   was 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER.  T31 

truly  the  envoy  sent  by  God,  the  vSaviour  of  the  world, 
the  only  One  Who  could  lead  us  to  eternal  life. 

Q.  How  was  the  Holy  Ghost  to  convince  the  world 
of  justice? 

A.  First  of  all,  we  must  take  the  word  justice  in 
its  true  sense.  Justice  consists  in  the  rectitude  of 
the  mind,  in  the  innocence  of  the  heart,  and  in  the 
integrity  of  morals.  He  who  always  thinks  of  God, 
as  he  is  strictly  bound  to  do,  whose  affections  are 
well  regulated,  loving,  desiring  what  is  good,  fearing 
and  avoiding  what  is  evil,  he  who  does  good  and 
not  evil,  he  is,  strictly  speaking,  a  just  man.  Now 
we  may  judge  whether  the  Jews  and  the  Gentiles 
had  this  justice.  The  Gentiles  professed  false  doc- 
trines, they  were  corrupt  in  heart,  and  followed 
their  passions,  and  therefore  they  regarded  the  re- 
ligion of  Christ  as  foolishness.  The  Jews,  holding 
that  sanctity  consisted  in  the  scrupulous  observance 
of  the  legal  ceremonies,  persecuted  the  Envoy  of 
heaven  and  believed  they  had  gained  great  merit  in 
the  sight  of  God  by  putting  Him  to  death.  Xow  who 
was  to  undeceive  both  Jew  and  Gentile?  Who  was 
to  teach  them  in  what  consisted  true  sanctity  and  true 
justice?  Who  vras  to  give  all  creatures  the  tangible 
proofs  of  the  sanctity,  excellence,  and  greatness  of 
Jesus  Christ?  It  was  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  the 
rapid  and  triumphant  progress  of  the  gospel  is  a 
proof  thereof. 

O.  Finally,  how  was  the  Holy  Ghost  to  convince  the 
world  of  judgment? 

A.  The  Holy  Ghost  was  to  make  known  how  false 
the  judgment  of  the  world  was  in  regard  to  God,  in 
regard  to  Christ,  and  in   regard  to  the    precepts  of 


132  FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

morality,  because,  as  the  Divine  Master  had  said,  the 
prince  of  this  world  was  already  judged,  and  was  to 
be  dethroned  by  the  passion  and  death  of  the  Re- 
deemer. As  soon  as  the  apostles,  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  preached  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  it 
was  made  known  how  deceived  the  Jews  and  Gentiles 
had  been  in  their  judgments ;  and  the  prince  of  the 
world,  that  is,  the  devil,  who  was  the  cause  of  such 
false  judgments,  finally  lost  that  tyrannical  power 
wdiich  up  to  that  time  he  had  exercised  over  their 
minds  and  hearts.  Thus  Christ  a  few  hours  before 
His  death  foretold  that  deliverance  of  men  and  that 
overthrow  of  the  devil's  power  which  the  Holy  Ghost 
accomplished  after  Pentecost. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  mean  when  He  said  that  He 
had  many  other  things  to  tell  them,  but  which  they 
could  not  then  understand  ? 

A.  We  know  very  well  how  much  the  apostles  did 
in  founding  the  Church.  They  developed  mysteries 
that  are  merely  mentioned  in  the  gospel,  they  fixed 
the  discipline  that  was  to  be  practised,  they  insti- 
tuted the  hierarchy  of  the  clergy,  determined  the  order 
of  deacons,  priests,  and  bishops,  and  founded  the 
minor  churches.  We  know  also  that  when  Christ 
thus  spoke  to  them  they  were  as  yet  ignorant,  timid, 
and  inconstant,  and  that  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  they  were  to  be  transformed  into  new  men. 
As  long  as  they  had  not  received  the  Holy  Ghost  they 
were  not  disposed  to  receive  all  the  instructions  neces- 
sary for  so  great  an  undertaking,  and  therefore  Christ 
said  that  He  had  much  more  to  tell  them,  but  which 
they  at  present  were  not  able  to  understand,  and  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  would  make  it  known  to  them. 


FIFTH    SUNDAY     AFltK    LASTEK.  133 

Q.   Why  do  you  say  this? 

A.  Consider  the  words  that  follow  and  you  will 
no  longer  doubt  it.  The  divine  Redeemer  said  that 
when  the  Holy  Ghost  would  come  to  the  apostles  He 
would  teach  them  all  truth,  that  is,  He  would  tell 
them  all  that  was  to  be  done  to  establish  the  Church 
in  the  whole  world.  From  this  you  see  that  Christ 
sent  the  Holy  Ghost  to  instruct  the  apostles  in  all 
those  things  which  on  that  evening  they  could  not 
understand;  and  all  which  they  afterward  did  and 
ordained  in  the  Church  of  Christ  was  taught  them  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  Who  constantly  directed  them  in  all 
things. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel  ? 

A.  Seeing  the  apostles  filled  with  sorrow  because 
they  must  separate  from  their  divine  Master,  we 
should  learn  how  great  our  sorrow  ought  to  be  when 
of  our  own  accord  we  separate  ourselves  from  Christ 
by  sin ;  and  learning  how  necessary  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  to  the  apostles,  we  should  always  invoke  Him 
that  He  may  also  instruct  us  in  the  truths  of  the  faith, 
and  guide  our  steps  on  the  way  of  evangelical  per- 
fection. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  EASTER. 

Gospel:  St.  John  xvi.  23-30. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "Amen, 
amen,  I  say  to  you :  if  you  ask  the  Father  anything 
in  My  name,  He  will  give  it  you.  Hitherto  you  have  not 
asked  anything  in  My  name :  Ask,  and  you  shall  receive, 
that  your  joy  may  be  full.  These  things  I  have  spoken  to 
you  in  proverbs.     The  hour  cometh  when  I  will  no  more 


134  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

speak  to  you  in  proverbs,  but  will  show  you  plainly  of  the 
Father.  In  that  day  you  shall  ask  in  My  name:  and  1  say 
not  to  you  that  I  will  ask  the  Father  for  you.  For  the 
Father  Himself  loveth  you,  because  you  have  loved  Me, 
and  have  believed  that  I  came  out  from  God.  I  came  forth 
from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world :  again  I 
leave  the  world,  and  I  go  to  the  Father.  His  disciples 
say  to  Him:  Behold  now  Thou  speakest  plainly,  and 
speakest  no  proverb.  Now  we  know  that  Thou  knowest 
all  things,  and  Thou  needest  not  that  any  man  should  ask 
Thee.  By  this  we  believe  that  Thou  comest  forth  from 
God." 

Q.  What  did  Christ  promise  the  apostles  in  these 
words? 

A.  He  promised  the  apostles,  and  all  Christians, 
that  His  Eternal  Father  would  grant  them  all  graces 
when  they  ask  for  them  in  His  name. 

Q.  Why  may  we  hope  to  be  always  heard  if  we 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus? 

A.  We  know  who  Christ  is,  and  what  His  merits 
are.  He  is  the  object  of  the  complacency  of  the 
Father;  He  is  the  mediator  between  God  and  man; 
He  it  is  upon  Whom  glory  has  been  bestowed  in 
preference  to  all  creatures,  because  by  His  obedience 
and  by  His  death  He  has  merited  the  mercy,  the 
adoption,  and  the  benediction  of  the  Father;  and  He 
has  made  us  His  brethren.  His  members,  and  co-heirs 
of  His  glory.  The  granting  therefore  of  what  we 
may  ask  of  the  Father  in  the  name  of  Jesus  will 
always  be  considered  by  Him  as  an  act  of  mercy  and 
grace  toward  us,  and  as  an  act  of  justice  in  regard  to 
the  infinite  merits  of  Christ.  Remember,  however, 
that  our  prayers  cannot  be  said  to  have  been  made 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  when  we  ask  for  things  that  are 


FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER.  1 35 

not  according-  to  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  not  expe- 
dient for  our  eternal  welfare. 

Q.  If  Christ  made  such  a  promise,  ^vhy  do  we  so 
often  fail  to  receive  what  we  ask  for? 

A.  St.  James  the  apostle  says:  "You  ask  and  do 
not  obtain  because  you  ask  amiss."  St.  Thomas 
says :  "  Some  pray  and.  at  the  same  time  are  attached 
to  sin,  some  do  not  pray  as  they  ought,  and  some 
pray  for  things  that  are  not  good,  or  at  least  of  no-= 
benefit  to  their  soul,  and  therefore  their  prayers  are 
not  heard."  If,  however,  they  are  sorry  for  their  sins 
and  pray  in  the  proper  manner  for  spiritual  graces, 
and  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  the  Eternal  Father  will 
grant  their  request. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  say  that  hitherto  they  had  not 
asked  in  His  name? 

A.  This  is  a  matter  of  fact.  The  apostles  were  al- 
ways with  their  Master,  they  looked  to  Him  for  what 
they  wanted,  and  hence  they  never  had  recourse  to  the 
Eternal  Father  to  obtain  graces  in  His  name.  Now, 
Christ  being  about  to  leave  them.  He  exhorts  them 
henceforth  to  have  recourse  to  His  Father  and  pray 
to  Him  in  His  name,  aSvSuring  them  that  on  account 
of  His  merits  the  Father  would  hear  their  prayers, 
and  console  them  in  the  trials  of  this  world  in  which 
He  w^as  leaving  them. 

O.  Why  does  He  say  that  hitherto  He  had  spoken 
to  them  in  proverbs? 

A.  The  word  "proverb"  signifies  a  parable  and  also 
an  enigma,  and  Jesus  had  hitherto  made  use  of  par- 
ables and  enigmas  in  speaking  to  the  apostles.  You 
will  recollect  that  He  spoke  to  them  in  parables 
which  they  could  not  understand  ;  even  in  the  present 


136  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    EASTER. 

discourse  He  said  that  after  a  little  while  they  would 
not  see  Him,  because  He  was  going  to  the  Father; 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  would  come,  and  that  their  sor- 
row would  be  turned  into  joy ;  but  all  these  words 
were  to  the  apostles  so  many  enigmas,  the  meaning 
of  which  they  did  not  know.  On  this  account  He  now 
promises  them,  that  He  will  henceforth  speak  to  them 
in  plain  words  by  the  voice  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
4hat  nothing  would  be  obscure  or  hard  for  them 
to  understand.  After  Pentecost  the  apostles  under- 
stood all,  and  spoke  of  the  most  sublime  truths  with 
wonderful  clearness. 

Q.  What  else  did  Christ  promise? 

A.  He  promised  that  the  Holy  Ghost  would  suggest 
to  them  what  they  should  ask  for,  and  that  they  would 
obtain  their  request  from  the  Father  without  His  be- 
ing with  them  on  earth ;  because  the  Eternal  Father 
loved  them  on  account  of  their  faith  in  and  love  for 
Him,  the  Master.  Let  us  love  Him,  and  the  Eternal 
Father  will  love  us  and  will  be  always  ready  to  hear 
our  prayers. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  mean  when  He  said :  "  I  came 
forth  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world ; 
and  I  go  to  the  Father  "? 

A.  The  Divine  Word  is  generated  by  the  Father  be- 
fore all  ages,  but  in  time  He  came  into  the  world  and 
assumed  our  own  flesh.  With  that  very  same  flesh 
He  was,  within  a  few  days,  to  return  to  the  Father, 
as  His  ascension  into  heaven  was  near  at  hand. 
Therefore  with  the  above  words  He  taught  His  divine 
generation.  His  incarnation,  and  His  glorious  ascen- 
sion into  heaven.  The  apostles  understood  all  this 
and  were  confirmed   in  their  faith,  and  hence  they 


SUNDAY    WITHIN    THE    OCTAVE    OF    THE    ASCENSION.        1 37 

declared :   "  Behold  now  Thou  speakest  plainly.    .    .    . 
By  this  we  believe  that  Thou  comest  forth  from  God." 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  all  this? 

A.  We  should  learn  to  grow  in  faith  and  in  Christian 
hope ;  we  should  learn  to  pray  in  such  a  manner  that 
our  progress  may  be  pleasing  to  the  Eternal  Father, 
so  that  we  may  obtain  those  graces  for  which  we  pray 
through  Jesus  Christ,  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  with  Jesus 
Christ. 


SUNDAY    WITHIN    THE    OCTAl^E    OF    THE 
ASCENSION. 

Gospel:  St.  John  XV.  26-27;  xvi.  1-4. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "When  the 
Paraclete  cometh  Whom  I  will  send  you  from  the 
Father,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  Who  proceedeth  from  the  Father, 
He  shall  give  testimony  of  Me.  And  you  shall  give  testi- 
mony, because  you  are  with  Me  from  the  beginning.  These 
things  have  I  spoken  to  you,  that  you  may  not  be  scandal- 
ized. They  will  put  you  out  of  the  synagogues :  yea,  the 
hour  cometh  that  whosoever  killeth  you  will  think  that  he 
doth  a  service  to  God.  And  these  things  will  they  do  to 
you,  because  they  have  not  known  the  Father  nor  Me. 
But  these  things  I  have  told  you  that  when  the  hour  of 
them  shall  come,  you  may  remember  that  I  told  you." 

Q.   What  did  Christ  promise  here? 

A.  He  promised  that  the  Holy  Ghost  would  give 
testimony  of  His  divine  mission,  and  of  the  truth  of 
His  doctrine.  The  promise  was  fulfilled.  The  world 
has  acknowledged  Jesus  to  be  the  only-begotten  Word 
clothed  with  our   flesh ;  it  has   recognized    Him  to  be 


IjS     SUNDAY    WITHIN     THE    OCTAVE    OF    THE    ASCENSION. 

the  Messias  foretold  by  the  prophets  and  foreshadowed 
in  the  law ;  it  was  convinced  of  the  holiness  of  His 
doctrine,  by  which  truths  not  known  before  were 
taught,  and  precepts  inculcated  worthy  of  the  God 
Who  taught  them  and  worthy  of  man  who  was  called 
to  put  them  in  practice  with  the  help  of  divine  grace. 

O.  How  were  the  apostles  to  give  testimony  of 
Jesus  Christ? 

A.  The  apostles  were  the  first  to  know  Him  and  to 
be  intimately  associated  with  Him ;  they  were,  there- 
fore, witnesses  of  all  He  did  and  said.  But,  although 
they  were  constantly  with  Him,  spoke  with  Him,  saw 
all  His  actions,  they  did  not  always  understand  His 
words  nor  know  the  object  of  His  actions.  But  after 
having  received  the  Holy  Ghost  they  remembered  and 
understood  all  they  had  seen  and  heard  during  the 
three  years  of  Christ's  public  life,  and  from  all  this  they 
gathered  the  materials  to  teach  the  nations,  to  ex- 
plain the  truth,  and  to  establish  the  discipline  of  that 
Church  of  which  they  were  to  be  the  founders  through- 
out the  world.  They  would  preach  to  the  nations  the 
divinity  of  Christ  and  the  truths  of  faith ;  they  would 
say :  We  have  heard  with  our  own  ears  and  seen  with 
our  own  eyes  all  the  things  which  we  announce  to  you ; 
and  thus  they  would  give  testimony  of  Christ. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  say:  "These  things  I  have 
spoken  to  you,  that  you  may  not  be  scandalized  "? 

A.  Christ  sent  the  apostles  to  preach  the  gospel. 
Now  what  would  they  think  of  Him  when  they  would 
find  that  they  raised  a  most  furious  persecution 
against  themselves,  that  they  were  everywhere  hunt- 
ed to  death  and  abandoned  to  the  fury  of  their  ene- 
mies?    They    might   have   been  tempted  to   believe 


SUNDAY    WIIHIN    THE    OCTAVE    OF    THE    ASCENSION.         I39 

that  they  had  been  betrayed  and  sacrificed  by  the 
Divine  Master.  Wherefore  Christ  told  them  all  they 
would  have  to  suffer,  and  by  so  doing  He  gave  an- 
other proof  of  His  divinity  and  also  of  His  power  to 
help  them  in  the  battles  they  were  to  fight  in  His 
name;  and  thus  He  anticipated  and  obviated  all,  in 
order  that  they  might  not  lose  their  faith  when  those 
trials  came  upon  them. 

Q.  What  advantage  did  the  apostles  derive  from 
these  predictions? 

A.  St.  Gregory  says  that  a  w^ound  is  less  painful 
when  it  has  been  foreseen,  and  these  predictions  had 
this  effect  on  the  apostles,  that  the  persecutions 
would  be  less  painful,  inasmuch  as  they  expected 
them.  Moreover,  they  w^ould  rejoice  in  the  midst  of 
those  persecutions  at  beholding  the  predictions  of 
their  Divine  Master  fully  verified,  and  the  more  their 
faith  was  strengthened  the  more  they  were  encour- 
aged by  the  hope  of  the  reward  which  they  were  to 
gain  by  their  sufferings. 

Q.  Were  all  these  w^ords  intended  only  for  the 
apostles  ? 

A.  In  a  certain  sense  they  were  also  intended  for 
us.  We  also  bear  witness  to  Jesus,  by  leading  a  life 
according  to  His  holy  law ;  w^e  also,  by  sincerely  pro- 
fessing the  faith  and  by  observing  the  laws  of  the 
gospel,  may  expect,  as  St.  Paul  says,  to  be  persecuted  ; 
we  also  w^ho  find  ourselves  objects  of  persecution 
must  be  encouraged  by  the  hope  of  our  eternal  re- 
ward in  heaven, 


I40  PENTECOST    SUNDAY. 

PENTECOST  SUNDAY. 
Gospel:   vSt.  John  xiv.  23-31. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "If  any  one 
love  Me,  he  will  keep  My  word,  and  My  Father  will 
love  him,  and  We  will  come  to  him,  and  will  make  Our 
abode  with  him.  He  that  loveth  Me  not,  keepeth  not  My 
words.  And  the  word  which  you  have  heard  is  not  Mine: 
but  the  Father's  Who  sent  Me.  These  things  have  I 
spoken  to  you,  abiding  with  you.  But  the  Paraclete,  the 
Holy  Ghost,  Whom  the  Father  will  send  in  My  name.  He 
will  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your 
mind,  whatsoever  I  shall  have  said  to  you.  Peace  I  leave 
with  you ;  My  peace  I  give  unto  you :  not  as  the  world 
giveth  do  I  give  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,  nor  let  it  be  afraid.  You  have  heard  that  I 
said  to  you :  I  go  away  and  come  again  to  you.  If  you 
loved  Me,  you  w^ould  indeed  be  glad,  because  I  go  to 
the  Father:  for  the  Father  is  greater  than  I.  And  now  I 
have  told  you  before  it  came  to  pass:  that  when  it  shall 
come  to  pass  you  may  believe.  I  will  not  now  speak  many 
things  with  you;  for  the  prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and 
in  Me  he  hath  not  anything.  But  that  the  world  may 
know  that  I  love  the  Father:  and  as  the  Father  hath  given 
Me  commandment,  so  do  I.     Arise,  let  us  go  hence." 

Q.  What  does  Jesus  mean  by  the  first  words  of 
this  Gospel? 

A.  He  tells  those  who  sincerely  love  Him  that  they 
will  show  this  love  for  Him  by  faithfully  observing 
His  precepts,  and  that  in  return  for  their  love  the 
Eternal  Father  will  love  them  and,  together  with 
Himself  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  will  come  to  them,  not 
only  with  His  grace  to  preserve  them  in  righteousness. 


PENTECOST    SL'XOAV.  14I 

to  urge  them  to  be  perfect,  to  protect  them  and  to  en- 
rich them  with  His  blessings,  but  also  to  abide  with 
them,  to  unite  them  to  Himself,  to  make  them  a  liv- 
ing temple  of  His  divine  majesty.  Alas,  our  mind  is 
too  weak  to  understand  the  greatness  of  such  a  favor 
and  of  such  a  reward ! 

Q.  How  can  you  prove  that  he  who  loves  not  Christ 
does  not  keep  His  word? 

A.  A  moment's  reflection  makes  this  evident. 
Look  at  those  who  love  not  Christ,  and  consider  their 
conduct.  Are  they  anxious  to  have  Him  for  a  friend, 
or  do  they  appreciate  what  He  has  done  for  them? 
Do  not  many  of  them  wish  Him  to  be  banished  from 
the  hearts  of  men?  Are  not  even  those  who  are  not 
entirely  wicked  as  indifferent  toward  Him  as  ^  He 
had  never  done  anything  for  mankind?  If  you  wish 
to  know  whether  you  love  Christ,  follow  the  advice 
of  St.  Gregory,  and  ask  your  own  mind,  tongue,  and 
conduct.  If  you  do  not  think  of  Him,  if  you  do  not 
speak  of  Him,  if  your  manner  of  living  is  contrary 
to  His  law,  you  do  not  love  Him. 

Q.  How  are  we  to  understand  the  other  words  re- 
lating to  the  Holy  Ghost? 

A.  By  these  words  Christ  promised  the  apostles  and 
His  faithful  followers  that  when  He  should  leave  this 
world  and  go  to  His  Father,  He  would  send  the  Holy 
Ghost,  Who  would  be  the  teacher  and  consoler  of  the 
apostles  and  of  all  true  Christians.  The  apostles  had 
heard  many  things  from  Christ  which  they  would  fail 
to  remember  or  could  not  tmderstand.  Hence  the 
necessity  of  a  teacher  who  would  recall  to  their  mem- 
ory and  assist  them  in  understanding  the  things  they 
had  heard.      ^loreover,  thev  were  about  to  assume  the 


142  PENTFXOST    SUNDAY, 

arduous  duties  of  the  apostolate,  they  were  to  suffer 
all  kinds  of  persecutions,  and  hence  the  promise  of  a 
comforter  who  would  console  them  in  all  their  afflic- 
tions. We  all  know  the  sublime  manner  in  which 
these  promises  were  fulfilled  in  reference  to  the  apos- 
tles, and  we  all  know,  so  far  as  we  ourselves  are  con- 
cerned, that  we  cannot  understand  the  profound  mean- 
ing of  the  doctrines  of  Christ  which  we  hear  from  the 
ministers  of  the  Church  unless  the  Holy  Ghost  be  our 
teacher.  And  if  in  the  trials  of  life  we  are  patient 
and  resigned,  it  is  the  gift  of  that  Comforter  Whom 
Christ  promised  us  in  the  person  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Q.   What  is  that  peace  which  Jesus  Christ  left  us? 

A.  Consider  Christ  to  have  spoken  thus:  I  am 
about  to  leave  you,  but  I  leave  as  an  inheritance  My 
benediction,  by  which  I  wish  you  every  kind  of  good; 
not  that  apparent  good  which  the  world  wishes  you,  but 
the  good  I  wish  you  is  real,  efficacious,  and  fruitful  unto 
all  eternity.  I  leave  you  peace  of  mind,  vsimplicity  of 
heart,  the  bond  of  affection,  charity,  contentedness, 
courage,  and  the  strength  to  acquire  eternal  glory, 
and  to  lead  others  to  the  same.  Oh,  what  a  consola- 
tion for  us  to  know  that  these  precious  words  did  not 
stop  with  the  apostles,  but  came  down  also  directly 
to  us! 

Q.  Why  did  He  say  that  He  would  not  speak  many 
things  with  them,  because  the  prince  of  this  world 
was  coming,  who  had  no  power  over  Him? 

A.  Do  not  forget  that  this  discourse  was  held  with 
the  apostles  on  the  evening  before  His  passion.  He 
therefore  had  only  a  few  moments  to  speak  to  them. 
The  horrible  plan  of  His  death  had  already  been  de- 
cided on  by  the  synagogue,  the  devil  was  urging  the 


PENTECOST    SUNDAY.  1 43 

Jews  to  accomplish  the  crime,  the  traitor  was  at  the 
head  of  the  mob,  yet  neither  the  devil  nor  His  enemies 
could  have  prevailed  against  Him,  if  He  had  not  vol- 
untarily given  Himself  up  to  them,  in  order  to  obey 
His  Eternal  Father.  Therefore  we  see  how  Christ 
before  He  commenced  His  passion  told  the  apostles 
what  was  to  come,  and  how,  in  order  to  confirm  His 
promise  in  regard  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  He  declared  that 
He  would  suffer  solely  of  His  own  accord  and  to  do  the 
will  of  His  Eternal  Father. 

Q.  When  did  Jesus  fulfil  His  promise  of  sending 
the  Holy  Ghost? 

A.  The  promise  was  fulfilled  on  Pentecost  when 
suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from  heaven  as  o^  a 
mighty  wind,  and  at  the  same  time  there  appeared 
cleft  tongues,  as  it  were,  of  fire,  that  rested  on  each 
one  of  the  disciples,  who  for  several  days  had  been  to- 
gether in  a  room  praying. 

O.  Why  did  the  Holy  Ghost  come  down  upon  the 
apostles  in  this  manner? 

A.  The  Holy  Ghost  did  so  in  order  to  manifest  Him- 
self in  a  visible  manner,  for,  says  St.  Gregory  of  Na- 
zianzen,  if  the  Divine  Word  assumed  a  real  body  and 
thus  lived  among  us,  it  was  proper  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
should  also  manifest  Himself  to  man  in  a  visible 
manner. 

O.  But  why  did  He  manifest  Himself  in  the  form 
of  fiery  tongues,  and  why  was  His  coming  preceded 
by  a  strong  wind? 

A.  The  Holy  Ghost  has  always  assumed  different 
forms  according  to  the  nature  of  His  works.  When 
Christ  was  baptized  in  the  river  Jordan  He  appeared 
in  the  form  of  a  dove,  which  is  innocent,  fruitful,  and 


144  PENTECOST    SUNDAY. 

the  bearer  of  peace,  in  order  to  signify  Christ's  inno- 
cence, the  object  of  His  mission,  and  the  fruitfulness 
of  His  works.  He  appeared  at  the  transfiguration  of 
Christ  on  Mt.  Thabor  in  the  form  of  a  resplendent 
cloud  covering  the  Redeemer,  Moses,  Elias,  the  apos- 
tles, and  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  to  indicate  that 
He  directed  the  prophets,  the  law,  Christ,  and  the 
apostles,  and  that  He  protects  and  renders  the  Church 
fruitful.  Lastly,  He  appeared  on  Pentecost  under  a 
new  form,  which  clearly  indicated  the  wonders  of 
which  He  was  the  worker. 

Q.  What  did  the  strong  wind  and  the  fiery  tongues 
signify  ? 

A.  The  strong  wind  signified  the  power  and  the 
energy  with  which  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  the 
apostles,  in  order  to  render  them  strong,  active,  and 
courageous  in  attacking,  fighting,  and  conquering  the 
world ;  the  fire  signified  that  ardor  of  charity  which 
was  to  purify,  enlighten,  inflame,  and  raise  the  mind 
and  heart  of  man  to  heaven ;  the  tonsfues  sienified  that 
divine  science,  triumphant  eloquence,  and  knowledge 
of  all  languages,  of  which  the  apostles  would  make  so 
great  use  in  converting  the  world. 

Q.  What  were  the  effects  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  the  apostles? 

A.  The  principal  effects  were:  The  apostles  were 
full  of  imperfections,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  made  them 
saints,  that  henceforth  in  all  their  thoughts,  desires, 
affections,  words,  actions,  and  endeavors  they  were 
moved  by  God,  they  sought  God,  and  referred  them- 
selves to  God.  They  were  ignorant,  and  now  they 
knew  all  the  mysteries,  and  they  cited  and  explained 
the  Holy  Scriptures;   they  established  the  deposit  of 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  1 45 

truth ;  and  they  became  the  teachers  of  the  Catholic 
faith.  They  were  timid  and  apprehensive,  and  from 
that  moment  they  were  courageous  and  brave,  so  that 
they  feared  not  the  cruelty  of  tyrants.  We  can  say  with 
St.  Gregory:  Behold  that  Peter  rejoicing  at  the  sound 
of  the  scourge  who  before  trembled  at  a  word ;  and 
he  who  was  frightened  at  the  voice  of  a  servant  girl, 
having  receiveci  the  Holy  Ghost,  smiles  in  the  ty- 
rant's face  who  has  caused  his  shoulders  to  be  torn. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  do  on  this  day? 

A.  We  should  admire  and  adore  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  beseech  Him  to  renew  His  wonders 
in  our  souls,  and  render  thanks  to  God  Who,  on  that 
day  and  in  such  manner,  accomplished  the  mysteries 
of  the  faith  and  the  establishment  of  His  holy  Cl:^rch. 


FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST,  OR   TRINITY 
SUNDA  Y. 

Gospel:  vSt.  Luke  vi.  36-42. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "  Be  ye  merci- 
ful, as  your  Father  also  is  merciful.  Judge  not,  and 
you  shall  not  be  judged :  condemn  not,  and  you  shall  not 
be  condemned.  Forgive,  and  you  shall  be  forgiven. 
Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  to  you:  good  measure  and 
pressed  down  and  shaken  together  and  running  over  shall 
they  give  into  your  bosom.  For  with  the  same  measure 
that  you  shall  mete  withal,  it  shall  l)c  measured  to  you 
again.  And  He  spoke  also  to  them  a  similitude:  Can  the 
blind  lead  the  blind?  do  they  not  both  fall  into  the  ditch? 
The  disciple  is  not  above  his  master:  but  every  one  shall 
be  perfect,  if  he  be  as  his  master.  And  why  seest  thou 
the  mote  in  thy  brother's  eye,  but  the  beam  that  is  in 
thy  own  eye  thou  considerest  not?  Or  how  canst  thou 
10 


146  FIRST    SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOSJ'. 

say  to  thy  brother:  Brother,  let  me  pull  the  mote  out  of 
thy  eye,  when  thou  thyself  seest  not  the  beam  in  thy 
own  eye.  Hypocrite,  cast  first  the  beam  out  of  thy  own 
eye,  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  take  out  the  mote 
from  thy  brother's  eye. " 

Q.  What  does  Christ  exhort  us  to  do  in  this  Gospel? 

A.  After  having  commanded  His.  disciples,  and 
in  their  person  us  also,  to  be  as  perfect  as  the  Heav- 
enly Father,  He  makes  known  to  them  that  the  first 
step  to  take  to  be  so  is  to  be  charitable  toward  our 
neighbor,  as  God  is  full  of  charity  toward  us.  The 
object  of  the  whole  discourse  is  to  commend  the 
principal  works  of  mercy,  and  to  censure  that  pride 
and  false  piety  which  causes  us  to  see  the  faults  of 
our  neighbor  but  not  our  own,  and  thus  to  have  no 
mercy  for  our  neighbor. 

Q.  Which  are  the  principal  works  of  mercy  com- 
manded in  this  Gospel  ? 

A.  The  first  is  not  to  judge  others  rashly;  the  sec- 
ond is  not  to  condemn  him  who  has  fallen ;  the  third 
is  to  pardon  him  who  has  offended  us ;-  and  the  fourth 
is  to  give  alms  or  in  other  ways  help  those  who  need 
our  help. 

Q.   Is  it  a  sin  to  judge  the  actions  of  others? 

A.  The  Holy  Ghost  tells  us  not  to  trouble  ourselves 
with  things  that  do  not  concern  us.  If,  therefore,  our 
neighbor  does  something  that  is  not  praiseworthy,  as 
long  as  it  does  not  interfere  with  our  affairs  and  our 
conscience,  charity  commands  us  to  close  our  eyes  and 
not  take  notice  of  it.  Charity  much  more  forbids  us 
to  judge  our  neighbors'  actions  upon  grounds  that  are 
insufficient  and  more  imaginary  than  real.  Hence 
Christ  in  this  passage  of  the  Gospel  commands  us  not 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  I47 

to  judge  rashly  of  our  neighbors'  actions;  that  is, 
without  having  positive  reasons.  However,  let  us 
reflect  that  if,  judging  from  appearances,  the  conduct 
of  our  neighbor  is  not  praiseworthy,  then  we  can  and 
should  be  on  our  guard  and  avoid  all  intercourse  with 
him,  so  that  our  reputation  and  conscience  may  not 
suffer. 

Q.  Is  it  against  charity  to  condemn  any  one  who 
sins? 

A.  St.  Bernard  says:  When  the  failings  of  your 
brother  cannot  be  denied,  excuse  the  intention,  attrib- 
ute them  to  ignorance  or  surprise ;  have  compassion 
on  his  weakness,  and  think  that  you  might  have  done 
the  very  same  under  similar  circumstances.  ISiis  is 
the  law  of  charity.  Some  one  has  said  a  word  that  is 
positively  bad;  are  we  sure  that  he  knew  the  full 
meaning  of  it?  Another  has  done  something  that  is 
not  very  good;  are  we  sure  that  he  did  it  intention- 
ally and  with  reflection?  Again,  one  has  given  way 
to  a  fit  of  anger;  do  we  know  whether,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, he  had  time  to  repress  the  passion?  An- 
other's sin  is  evident;  but  would  we  under  similar 
circumstances  have  been  more  faithful  to  God?  Char- 
ity commands  us  to  excuse  our  brethren,  and  Jesus 
Christ  gives  us  this  command  in  this  day's  Gospel. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  the  other  suggestion 
in  which  He  tells  us  to  pardon? 

A.  It  is  a  most  just,  holy,  and  wholesome  sugges- 
tion. The  Pharisees  had  brought  a  woman  to  Christ 
who  had  been  caught  in  actual  sin,  and  according  to 
the  law  she  should  be  stoned  to  death.  Jesus  wrote 
some  words  on  the  ground  and  then  said .  "  He 
that  is  without  sin  among  you  let  him  first  cast  a 


148  FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

stone"  (John  viii.  7).  We  may  very  appropriately 
apply  these  words  to  ourselves.  He  that  needs  no 
pardon  from  God  may  refuse  to  pardon  his  neighbor. 
God  will  forgive  us  in  the  same  degree  that  we  forgive 
others.  How  just,  holy,  and  beneficial  is  not,  there- 
fore, the  command  Christ  gives  us  here. 

Q.  Why  are  we  to  give  to  others  what  belongs 
to  us? 

A.  Mark  well  that  by  the  words  of  Christ  we  are 
bound  in  charity  to  give  to  others  only  what  is  super- 
fluous to  us.  Whatever  is  not  necessary  for  us,  ac- 
cording to  our  state  in  life,  is  not  our  own,  but  God's, 
Who  gives  it  to  us  so  that  we  may  gain  merit  by  giv- 
ing it  to  the  poor.  If  we  were  in  want,  what  would 
our  wish  be?  Certainly  that  others  would  have  com- 
passion on  us  and  help  us.  Therefore  charity  requires 
that  we  do  for  others  what  we  wish  for  ourselves. 
Hence,  if  our  neighbor  be  in  want  we  must  help 
him  by  giving  him  as  alms  what  is  superfluous  to 
us,  or  we  must  at  least  lend  him  what  we  do  not 
need. 

Q.  What  reward  does  Christ  promise  us  for  all 
this? 

A.  If  we  close  our  eyes  in  order  not  to  see  the 
faults  of  our  neighbor,  God  will  mercifully  close  His 
eyes  to  ours.  If  we  do  not  judge,  but  rather  have 
compassion  on  others,  God  will  not  judge.  He  will 
compassionate  our  failings.  If  we  pardon  our  neigh- 
bor, God  will  pardon  us ;  and  if  we  give  charity  to 
the  needy,  God  will  give  us  the  treasures  of  His  grace. 
In  a  word,  as  we  treat  our  neighbor  God  will  treat  us , 
with  this  difference,  however,  that  we  do  good  to 
others  as  men  whose  power  is  limited,  whereas  God 


FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  149 

will  favor  us  with  a  power  that  is  infinite,  and  with  a 
generosity  altogether  His  own. 

O.  What  are  the  vices  that  prevent  us  from  doing 
the  above  works  of  charity? 

A.  They  are  pride  and  false  piety,  that  is,  hypoc- 
risy. The  proud  man  thinks  he  knows  all,  sees  all, 
and  whatever  he  does  he  does  well.  Therefore  as  a 
king  he  condemns  all  those  who  do  not  act  as  he 
does;  ordinarily  speaking,  he  is  cruel,  he  does  not 
forgive,  and  never  gives  alms.  The  hypocrites  are 
extremely  severe  with  others  whilst  they  are  exceed- 
ingly indulgent  to  themselves,  and  therefore  you  will 
look  in  vain  for  Christian  charity  in  the  proud  or  in 
the  hypocrite.  They  fancy  themselves  full  of  good 
works,  whereas  in  reality  they  are  like  clcmds  in 
summer  that  pass  away  without  letting  a  drop  of  rain 
fall  upon  the  parched  earth. 

Q.  What  lesson  are  we  to  learn  from  the  words  "  the 
blind  cannot  lead  the  blind"? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  that  we  should  not  assume 
charge  of  others,  if  we  have  not  sufficient  knowledge 
to  properly  discharge  our  duty ;  besides,  we  should 
trust  only  those  who,  on  account  of  their  probity  and 
knowledge,  deserve  our  confidence.  An  ignorant,  im- 
moral, and  worldly  counsellor  can  but  drag  our  soul 
after  him  into  the  abyss. 

Q.  Who  are  they  who  see  the  mote  in  their  broth- 
er's eye,  but  see  not  the  beam  in  their  own? 

A.  They  are  those  false  devotees  and  proud  people 
who  notice  the  most  trifling  faults  of  their  neighbor, 
and  care  not  about  their  own  misdeeds  and  sins. 
Christ  tells  these  they  should  first  correct  their  own 
wicked  ways  before  they  presume  to  correct  others; 


150  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

and  hence,  if  we  wish  to  avoid  the  reproach  of  the 
Divine  Master,  we  must  pay  attention  to  our  own  fail- 
ings, and  not  busy  ourselves  with  our  neighbors' 
unless  duty  or  charity  should  command  it. 


SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST, 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  xiv.  16-24. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  spoke  to  the  Pharisees  this  par- 
able: *'A  certain  man  made  a  great  supper,  and 
invited  many.  And  he  sent  his  servant  at  the  hour  of 
supper  to  say  to  them  that  were  invited  that  they  should 
come,  for  now  all  things  are  ready.  And  they  began  all 
at  once  to  make  excuse.  The  first  said  to  him:  I  have 
bought  a  farm,  and  I  must  needs  go  out  and  see  it:  I 
pray  thee,  hold  me  excused.  And  another  said-  I  have 
bought  five  yoke  of  oxen,  and  I  go  to  try  them :  I  pray 
thee,  hold  me  excused.  And  another  said:  I  have  mar- 
ried a  wife,  and  therefore  I  cannot  come.  And  the  ser- 
vant returning  told  these  things  to  his  lord.  Then  the 
master  of  the  house,  being  angry,  said  to  his  servant:  Go 
out  quickly  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and  bring 
in  hither  the  poor  and  the  feeble  and  the  blind  and  the 
lame.  And  the  servant  said:  Lord,  it  is  done  as  thou 
hast  commanded,  and  yet  there  is  room.  And  the  lord 
said  to  the  servant:  Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges; 
and  compel  them  to  come  in,  that  my  house  may  be  filled. 
But  I  say  unto  you,  that  none  of  those  men  that  were 
invited  shall  taste  of  my  supper. " 

Q.  Who  is  this  man  who  prepares  the  supper,  and 
what  supper  is  it  that  is  called  great? 

A.  All  agree  that  this  man  is  our  good  God,  Who 
places  His  treasures  at  the  disposal  of  His  friends, 


SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  15I 

that  is,  our  souls,  and  invites  His  creatures  to  nourish 
themselves  at  His  heavenly  banquet,  which  is  replen- 
ished with  all  sweetness  and  delights.  In  regard  to 
the  supper  we  must,  first  of  all,  observe  that  dinner 
and  supper  are  different  in  this:  that  work  is  stopped 
to  take  dinner,  and  after,  the  work  is  generally  re- 
sumed, and  man  is  once  more  taken  up  with  the  cares 
and  anxieties  of  life ;  but  after  supper  he  works  no 
more,  he  retires  to  rest,  and  in  the  sweet  embraces  of 
sleep  he  forgets  all  that  afflicts  his  mind  and  body. 
Hence  all  the  sacred  interpreters  say  that  the  nuptial 
banquet  or  the  dinner  mentioned  in  the  eighth  chapter 
of  St.  Matthew,  signifies  the  vocation  to  the  faith,  after 
which  there  is  much  work  to  be  done,  and  much 
to  suffer  in  the  practice  of  the  Christian  lifetf  The 
supper,  however,  mentioned  in  this  day's  Gospel  sig- 
nifies the  entrance  into  paradise,  after  which  there  is 
perfect  peace  and  rest,  and  nothing  to  disturb  the 
mind  or  tire  the  body.  Many,  however,  recognize  in 
this  supper  the  holy  Eucharistic  table,  and  that  most 
precious  food  that  is  taken  by  receiving  the  Most  Holy 
Sacrament. 

Q.  In  what  does  the  supper  resemble  the  Most  Holy 
Eucharist? 

A.  When  the  hour  for  supper  has  come  the  work 
or  business  of  the  day  is  done,  the  meal  is  taken  in 
peace,  the  time  is  passed  in  pleasant  conversation, 
and  then  each  retires  to  rest,  during  which  the  tired 
body  recovers  new  strength,  the  mind  gains  new  vigor, 
and  upon  rising  the  following  morning  all  feel  re- 
freshed and  able  to  resume  their  work.  Now  the 
same  happens  to  the  soul  when  it  partakes  of  the 
Eucharistic  table.     When  a  Christian  approaches  this 


152  SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

table  with  the  proper  dispositions  he  forgets  entirely 
the  cares  of  the  wbrld,  he  converses  confidentially  with 
God,  his  true  friend,  brother,  and  father;  he  enjoys 
peace  of  mind,  during  which  he  recovers  from  all  his 
sufferings ;  he  receives  new  strength  to  battle  against 
his  spiritual  enemies  and  to  carry  even  heavier  crosses, 
and,  like  a  new  man,  he  attempts  to  climb  the  high 
mountain  of  evangelical  perfection. 

Q.  Of  whom  are  they  who  refused  to  come  to  the 
supper  a  figure? 

A.  They  are  the  figure  of  the  Christians  who,  being 
immersed  in  the  cares,  pleasures,  and  vanities  of  the 
world,  do  not  care  to  receive  the  Holy  Sacrament, 
and  do  not  prepare  themselves  to  enter  into  the 
heavenly  rest,  thus  showing  by  their  actions  that  they 
refuse  to  be  of  the  number  of  the  elect. 

Q.  And  of  whom  are  the  poor,  the  feeble,  the 
blind,  and  the  lame  that  were  invited  to  the  supper 
a  figure? 

A.  From  this  we  learn  that  God,  in  bestowing  Hir 
favors,  has  no  regard  for  high  birth,  riches,  talents, 
beauty,  or  other  personal  advantages ;  so  much  so  that 
the  poor  and  lowly  are  treated  kindly  by  Him,  and 
sometimes  even  better  than  the  great  of  the  world. 
It  is  not  only  the  perfect  that  are  called  to  nourish 
themselves  at  the  Eucharistic  table,  but  also  those 
who  are  poor  in  merits,  blind  according  to  the  spirit, 
ignorant  and  less  constant  in  the  divine  service ;  for 
by  virtue  of  this  heavenly  bread  they  will  become  rich 
in  grace,  gain  strength,  be  enlightened,  and  be  ren- 
dered able  to  make  greater  progress  in  virtue.  Let 
timid  souls  impress  this  lesson  of  the  parable  on  their 
minds,  and  draw  therefrom  comfort  and  consolation, 


THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTF.R    PKXTKCOST.  153 

Q.  What  are  we  to  say  of  the  master  of  the  house 
who  was  angry  at  those  who  excused  themselves? 

A.  Woe  to  those  who  do  not  heed  God's  invita- 
tion !  A  day  will  come  when  they  will  no  more  hear 
that  voice  inviting  them  to  taste  the  delights  of  para- 
dise. The  Jews,  of  whom  those  who  refused  to  attend 
the  supper  were  a  figure,  did  not  heed  the  words  of 
the  Divine  Master,  and  they  were  abandoned  to  their 
sad  fate.  All  who  resist  the  voice  of  God,  Who  calls 
them  to  eternal  happiness  in  so  many  different  ways, 
will  find  that  they  are  excluded  therefrom.  As  we 
have  applied  the  parable  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
let  us  reflect  that  he  who,  on  account  of  worldly  cares 
or  of  a  sinful  life,  does  not  receive  this  sacrament 
runs  the  greatest  risk  of  being  deprived  of  if^t  the 
hour  of  death,  because  then  Jesus  Christ  will  refuse 
to  be  the  food  of  those  ungrateful  ones  who  turned 
away  from  Him  when  He  most  lovingly  invited,  them 
during  life  to  partake  of  His  table. 


f 

\^^.. 


THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Luke  xv.  i-io. 

AT  that  time:  "The  publicans  and  sinners  drew  near 
unto  Jesus  to  hear  Him.  And  the  Pharisees  and 
the  scribes  murmured,  saying:  This  man  receiveth  sin- 
ners and  eateth  with  them.  And  He  spoke  to  them  this 
parable,  saying:  What  man  of  you  that  hath  an  hundred 
sheep,  and  if  he  shall  lose  one  of  them,  doth  he  not  leave 
the  ninety-nine  in  the  desert,  and  go  after  that  which  was 
lost  until  he  find  it?  And  when  he  hath  found  it,  lay  it 
upon  his  shoulders  rejoicing,  and  coming  home  call  to- 
gether his    friends  and  neighbors,  saying  to  them :   Re- 


154  THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

joice  with  me,  because  I  have  found  my  sheep  that  was 
lost?  I  say  to  you,  that  even  so  there  shall  be  joy  in 
heaven  upon  one  sinner  that  doth  penance,  more  than 
upon  ninety-nine  just  who  need  not  penance.  Or  what 
woman  having  ten  groats,  if  she  lose  one  groat,  doth  not 
light  a  candle  and  sweep  the  house  and  seek  diligently 
until  she  find  it?  And  when  she  hath  found  it,  call  to- 
gether her  friends  and  neighbors,  saying:  Rejoice  with 
me,  because  I  have  found  the  groat  which  I  had  lost. 
So  I  say  to  you,  there  shall  be  joy  before  the  angels  of 
God  upon  one  sinner  doing  penance." 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  those  sinners  who 
gathered  about  Christ,  and  of  Him  Who  received 
them? 

A.  We  are  to  admire  the  goodness  of  the  Divine 
Redeemer,  and  it  would  be  well  if  all  Christians 
would  imitate  those  publicans.  They  heard,  as  we 
read  in  St.  Matthew,  that  the  divine  Redeemer  in- 
vited all  to  do  penance  because  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  was  nigh,  and  therefore  they  came  to  Him 
and  they  were  well  received.  Happy  they  who  vol- 
untarily go  to  hear  the  doctrine  of  Christ  preached 
by  His  ministers!  This  is,  generally  speaking,  the 
first  step  toward  repentance  and  perfection.  The 
internal  inspirations  and  the  impulses  of  our  heart 
which  we  experience  in  hearing  the  word  of  God 
are  a  proof  of  the  kind  welcome  which  Jesus  Christ 
is  accustomed  to  give  us., 

Q.   Why  did  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  murmur? 

A.  They  did  not  know,  or,  rather,  did  not  wish  to 
know,  that  a  truly  just  man  always  feels  compassion 
for  sinners,  and  that  the  saints  have  always  desired 
and  endeavored  to  promote  their  conversion  and  eter- 
nal welfare.     The  proud  and  hypocritical  Pharisees 


THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTF.COST.  1 55 

avoided  public  sinners,  as  if  they  would  have  been 
contaminated  by  permitting  sinners  to  come  near  to 
them,  and  they  wanted  Jesus  Christ  to  do  as  they  did ; 
but  as  He  received  them  kindly,  they  were  angry 
and  murmured.  Let  us  learn  from  the  Divine  Master 
to  be  charitable  toward  him  who  errs,  and  let  lis 
avoid  the  pride  and  hard-heartedness  of  the  Phari- 
sees. 

Q.   What  is  the  object  of  this  parable? 

A.  By  this  parable  Christ  wished  to  excuse  sinners. 
He  desired  to  encourage  them  to  be  converted,  and 
to  let  them  know  how  dear  they  are  to  the  most  mer- 
ciful God,  Who  goes  in  search  of  the  lost.  Who  helps 
them  with  His  grace  in  their  repentance,  and  Who 
rejoices  with  His  angels  in  heaven  when  they.^turn 
to  the  path  that  leads  to  salvation. 

Q.  Where  do  we  find  excuse  for  sinners? 

A.  We  find  it  in  the  parable  where  Christ  compares 
a  sinner  to  a  sheep.  The  sheep  is  a  very  simple 
and  dull  animal  which,  while  grazing  in  the  field, 
does  not  notice  that  it  has  left  the  fold.  It  is  lost, 
and  when  lost  does  not  know  the  way  back  to  the 
fold.  It  seems,  therefore,  that  when  Christ  com- 
pared the  sinner  to  a  sheep  He  intended  to  say  that 
the  sinner  goes  astray  from  the  true  path  and  from 
God  through  pure  and  natural  ignorance;  because, 
being  dazzled  and  delighted  by  the  things  of  the 
world,  he  follows  them;  he  separates  himself  from 
the  just  without  knowing  it,  and,  lost  in  the  desert 
of  this  world,  he  does  not  know  his  misfortune  and 
has  not,  humanly  speaking,  the  means  of  return- 
ing again,  if  God  in  His  infinite  mercy  does  not  go 
in  search  of  him  and  rescues  him. 


156  THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST, 

Q.  Where  do  we  find  encouragement  for  sinners? 

A.  We  find  it  where  Christ  compares  Himself  to 
the  shepherd  by  pointing  out  his  labors  and  conduct. 
From  the  words  of  the  Divine  Master  we  see  that  as 
soon  as  the  shepherd  missed  the  lost  sheep  he  hast- 
ened after  it,  and  when  he  found  it  he  did  not 
frighten  it  with  reproaches,  nor  punish  it,  nor  com- 
pel it  to  walk;  but,  calling  it  by  name,  he  folds  it  in 
his  arms,  and  pitying  its  weariness,  he  carries  it  on 
his  shoulders  to  the  fold,  and  calls  his  friends  to- 
gether to  rejoice  with  him  for  having  brought  back 
to  the  fold  an  unfortunate  one  which  was  in  danger 
of  being  devoured  by  the  wolves.  What  greater  en- 
couragement is  there  for  the  sinner  who  sees  in  the 
lost  sheep  his  own  condition  and  in  the  conduct  of 
the  shepherd  the  infinite  mercy  of  God? 

Q.  Can  you  show  me  in  Christ  what  we  have  seen  in 
the  shepherd? 

A.  As  the  shepherd  immediately  searches  for  the 
sheep  when  he  knows  it  is  lost,  so  God  immediately 
recalled  Adam  to  the  right  path  when  he  had  lost  it  by 
sin,  by  announcing  to  him  the  fruit  of  the  woman,  that 
is,  the  Saviour,  Who  was  to  crush  the  head  of  the  ser- 
pent. The  shepherd  leaves  the  ninety-nine  in  order  to 
seek  the  lost  sheep;  and  the  Divine  Word,  in  order  to 
save  Adam  and  his  race,  left  the  company  of  the 
angels  and  the  splendor  of  His  glory,  and  came  to 
dwell  on  earth  under  the  likeness  of  a  servant.  The 
shepherd, having  found  the  sheep,  treats  it  kindly ;  and 
the  God-man,  when  he  was  among  sinners,  treated 
them  with  ineffable  tenderness,  and  out  of  kindness 
for  them  worked  many  miracles.  The  shepherd  car- 
ried the  sheep  on  his  shoulders,  and  the  God-man  car- 


THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  157 

ried  us  on  His  shoulders,  and  alone  sustained  the 
weight  of  our  sins.  And  as  the  shepherd  called  his 
friends  to  rejoice  with  him  because  he  had  found  the 
lost  sheep,  so  the  Incarnate  Word  called  all  the  angels 
to  rejoice  with  Him,  when  from  Blount  Olivet  He  re- 
turned triumphantly  to  His  Father,  taking  with  Him 
those  of  the  human  race  whom  He  had  rescued  from 
hell. 

Q.  Can  it  be  said  that  the  same  occurs  in  the  con- 
version of  every  sinner? 

A.  When  w^e  consider  the  great  remorse  the  sinner 
feels  after  having  committed  sin,  the  interior  voice 
that  calls  him  to  repent,  the  charity  with  which  the 
priest,  by  the  command  of  Jesus  Christ,  must  re- 
ceive him,  the  consolation  the  heart  of  a  true^peni- 
tent  experiences  w^hen  receiving  absolution,  the  light, 
the  help,  and  the  graces  that  assist  him  to  return  to 
the  right  path,  and  to  reform  his  life,  the  joy  of  the 
angels  and  saints  at  his  conversion,  we  will  under- 
stand that  God  always  goes  in  search  of  the  erring, 
that  He  treats  them  with  kindness,  that  He  supports 
them  by  His  grace,  and  that  He  rejoices  at  their  re- 
turn to  Him. 

Q.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  other  parable — of 
the  woman  who  seeks  the  lost  groat? 

A.  St.  Gregory  in  his  thirty-fourth  homily  says  that 
the  woman  signifies  the  Divine  Wisdom.  The  coin 
which  bears  the  image  of  the  king  is  a  figure  of  a  soul 
which  bears  the  imaee  of  the  Creator.  The  loss  of 
the  groat  is  a  figure  of  the  fall  of  man,  and  the  light 
announces  the  incarnation  of  the  Word,  because  as 
the  light  shines  through  the  lamp,  so  the  divinity  of 
Christ  shone  through  His  humanity.     The  sweeping 


158  THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

and  seeking  through  the  house  signifies  the  Incarnate 
Wisdom  that  aroused  the  consciences  of  men  who 
were  living  tranquilly  in  their  sins,  and  freed  them 
from  their  errors  of  intellect  and  from  the  corrup- 
tion of  their  hearts.  When  the  groat  was  found,  our 
soul,  made  according  to  the  likeness  of  God,  was  re- 
deemed and  placed  on  the  way  of  salvation ;  and  then 
the  Infinite  Wisdom  called  justice,  mercy,  omnipo- 
tence, providence,  and  all  the  heavenly  powers  to  re- 
joice with  it.  Thus  we  see  that  the  shepherd  and  the 
woman  are  figures  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  sheep  and 
the  groat  are  figures  of  the  sinner. 

Q.  Why  did  the  Divine  Master  conclude  by  saying 
that  there  shall  be  more  joy  for  one  repentant  sinner 
than  for  ninety-nine  just  who  need  not  penance  ? 

A.  St.  Gregory  sees  in  the  nine  groats,  and  St.  Am- 
brose in  the  ninety-nine  sheep,  the  nine  heavenly  hie- 
rarchies and  the  countless  choirs  of  angels  who  are 
happy  in  eternal  bliss :  and  in  the  one  lost  sheep  and 
one  lost  groat  they  behold  the  human  race  lost  by 
sin.  And  the  salvation  of  man,  which  is  of  so  great 
advantage  to  man  himself,  the  cause  of  so  great  joy 
to  the  angels,  and  of  so  great  glory  to  God,  produced 
unheard-of  rejoicing  in  heaven,  not  because  God 
loved  the  heavenly  spirits  less,  but  because  man  had 
been  restored  to  eternal  life  which  he  had  lost  by  sin. 
Now,  in  the  conversion  of  each  sinner  the  accidental 
joy  of  paradise  is  increased;  because,  although  it  is 
perfect,  yet  it  is  increased  when  a  soul  is  rescued 
from  hell  and  restored  to  God. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  all  this? 
A.   Besides  understanding  the  sense  and  the  spirit  of 
the  parable  and  the  object  the  Divine  Master  had  in 


FOURTH    SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOST.  159 

view  in  telling  it,  we  are  to  learn  to  be  charitable 
toward  sinners,  to  be  zealous  for  their  conversion,  to 
be  anxious  in  working  out  our  own  conversion,  if 
such  be  our  need,  and  always  to  thank  Our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  Who  in  His  infinite  mercy  came  in 
search  of  us  when  we  were  in  the  state  of  perdition. 


FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  v.   i-ii. 

AT  that  time:  "  When  the  multitude  pressed  upon  Jesus 
to  hear  the  word  of  God,  He  stood  by  the  Lake  of 
Genesareth,  and  saw  two  ships  standing  by  the  lake, 
but  the  fishermen  were  gone  out  of  them  and  wei#  wash- 
ing their  nets.  And  going  up  into  one  of  the  ships  that 
was  Simon's,  He  desired  him  to  draw  back  a  little  from 
the  land.  And  sitting  He  taught  the  multitude  out  of 
the  ship.  Now  when  He  had  ceased  to  speak  He  said 
to  Simon:  Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down 
your  nets  for  a  draught.  And  Simon  answering  said 
to  Him :  Master,  we  have  labored  all  the  night,  and  have 
taken  nothing,  but  at  Thy  word  I  will  let  down  the 
net.  And  when  they  had  done  this  they  enclosed  a  very 
great  multitude  of  fishes,  and  their  net  broke.  And  they 
beckoned  to  their  partners  that  were  in  the  other  ship 
that  they  should  come  and  help  them.  And  they  came 
and  filled  both  the  ships,  so  that  they  were  almost  sink- 
ing: which,  when  Simon  Peter  saw,  he  fell  down  at 
Jesus'  knees,  saying:  Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful 
man,  O  Lord.  For  he  was  wholly  astonished,  and  all 
that  were  with  him,  at  the  draught  of  the  fishes  which 
they  had  taken.  And  so  were  also  James  and  John,  the 
sons  of  Zebedee,  who  were  Simon's  partners.  And  Jesus 
saith  to  Simon:  Fear    not;  from   henceforth   thou   shalt 


l6o         FOURTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

catch   men.     And  having  brought   their   ships  to  land, 
leaving  all  things,  they  followed  Him. " 

Q.  Of  what  is  this  ship  a  figure? 

A.  This  ship  belonged  to  St.  Peter,  and  St.  Am- 
brose says  that  it  is  the  same  which  St.  Matthew 
speaks  of  as  tossed  about  by  a  furious  tempest,  and 
St.  Luke  in  this  day's  Gospel  describes  as  overloaded 
with  fishes.  From  this  ship  Christ  taught  the  people ; 
from  it  He  commanded  the  wind  and  the  waves; 
from  it,  although  asleep,  He  saved  the  apostles  from 
drowning.  It  is,  therefore,  a  figure  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  of  which  St.  Peter  and  his  legitimate  succes- 
sors are  the  visible  head  and  foundation. 

Q.  How  do  you  compare  the  Catholic  Church  to 
the  bark  of  Peter? 

A.  The  Catholic  Church  has  been  exposed  from  her 
very  beginning  to  the  persecutions  of  paganism, 
heresy,  and  false  philosophy.  By  the  preaching  of  the 
apostles  and  their  successors  she  has  made  immense 
conquests  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  In  the  midst  of 
continual  vicissitudes  she  has  always  had  the  assistance 
of  God,  Who  watched  over  her  safety  and  led  her  to 
victory,  although  He  seemed  to  sleep  and  to  have 
abandoned  her  to  the  fury  of  her  enemies.  She 
possesses  the  truth,  and  teaches  heavenly  doctrines 
that  are  directly  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the  world. 
You  will,  therefore,  recognize  in  her  the  bark  of 
Peter,  now  tossed  about  by  the  waves,  now  loaded 
with  rich  treasures,  now  triumphing  over  the  tem- 
pests, because  Jesus  Christ  is  with  her,  and  as  the 
oracle  of  her  Master  she  teaches  whomsoever  listens 
to  her  from,  the  shore. 

Q.  Is  there  any  remark  to  be  made  about  the  or- 


FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    t>EXTECOST.  l6i 

der  He  gave  the  apostles  to  launch  out  into  the  deep 
and  to  let  down  their  nets,  after  He  had  ceased  to 
speak  ? 

A.  To  launch  out  into  the  deep  signified  the  great 
work  into  which  the  apostles  were  to  go ;  and  to  let 
down  their  nets  indicated  the  preaching  of  the  divine 
word  by  which  they  were  to  draw  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  from  the  abyss  of  ignorance  and  place  them 
in  the  bosom  of  the  Church.  It  was,  therefore,  neces- 
sary that  Jesus  Christ  should  first  teach  and  finish 
His  teaching,  since  the  apostles  and  their  successors 
would  have  to  repeat  His  very  words ;  and,  when  He 
had  full)"  revealed  the  truth.  He  sent  His  apostles  to 
preach  it  to  the  whole  world.  Observe,  however, 
that  if  the  apostles  preached  the  gospel,  they  did  so 
by  the  command  of  Jesus  Christ;  therefore, ^o  one 
can  ever  pretend  to  have  the  right  of  preaching  the 
gospel  unless  he  has  received  his  mission  from  the 
legitimate  successors  of  the  apostles  who  are  in  union 
with  their  head,  the  vicar  of  Jesus  Christ. 

O.   What  is  to  be  said  of  the  answer  of  St.  Peter? 

A.  Peter  answered :  "  Master,  we  have  labored  all 
night  and  have  taken  nothing,  but  at  Thy  word  I  will 
letdown  the  net."  In  the  first  place  we  observe  that 
we  shall  always  labor  in  vain  if  we  are  not  in  the  com- 
pany of  Jesus  w4th  His  grace.  He  who  does  network 
for  God  and  with  God  loses  his  time,  and  gains  noth- 
ing; he  may  gain  for  the  world  but  not  for  heaven. 
Therefore,  we  shall  be  indeed  imfortunate  if,  at  the 
end  of  our  lives,  after  having  done  so  much  for  the 
world,  we  find  that  we  have  gained  nothing  for  eter- 
nity. We  admire  the  obedience  of  St.  Peter,  who, 
although  the  time  was  not  favorable,  let  down  his 
II 


l62  FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

net  at  the  word  of  his  Master;  and  we  also  should 
obey  him  who  commands  us  in  God's  place,  whatever 
reasons  we  may  have  for  doing-  the  contrary. 

Q.  What  is  meant  by  the  danger  of  the  net  break- 
ing? 

A.  There  is  always  danger  in  a  crowd,  and  after 
the  whole  world  wanted  to  enter  the  Church  and  be 
called  Christian,  the  fervor  of  the  faith  was  diminished. 
The  weak  in  the  faith,  the  disobedient  sinners,  con- 
tinually threaten  to  break  the  mystical  net;  that  is, 
the  effect  of  the  word  of  God.  And  heretics,  schis- 
matics, and  false  Christians  do  break  it. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  say  of  their  calling  their  partners 
to  help  them  ? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  from  this  that  when  we  are 
not  strong  enough  to  do  what  is  required  of  us  it  is 
not  sufficient  to  confess  our  inability,  but  we  must 
moreover  ask  those  to  help  us  who  can  do  so.  A 
father  of  a  family,  a  teacher,  a  high  official,  must  al- 
ways ask  for  the  help  or  advice  of  competent  persons, 
when  they  cannot  alone  properly  discharge  their 
duties  toward  those  committed  to  their  care. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  say  of  the  great  number  of 
fishes  which  they  caught? 

A.  It  was  a  figure  of  the  most  fruitful  result  of  the 
work  of  the  apostles,  who,  by  their  preaching,  gained 
in  a  very  short  time  to  the  faith  a  great  multitude 
of  persons  of  every  age,  class,  and  nation.  At  the 
same  time  we  also  learn  how  fruitful  our  works  will 
be  if  God  is  near  to  us  with  His  grace,  and  if  we  un- 
dertake a  work  in  obedience  to  His  word ;  for  if  St. 
Peter,  who  had  worked  all  night  in  vain,  by  obey- 
ing his  Divine  Master  caught  so  great  a  number  of 


FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  163 

fishes,  our  gain  will  also  be  very  great  for  eternity  if 
we  act  through  obedience. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  permit  the  apostles  to  be  so 
astonished  at  what  had  happened  ? 

A.  This  was  a  very  extraordinary  grace,  of  which 
all  stand  in  need  who  attribute  everything  to  chance 
or  to  natural  causes,  and  never  recognize  and  adore 
the  manifest  working  of  the  hand  of  God,  not  even  in 
the  most  extraordinary  events.  Besides,  it  was  a  les- 
son to  those  obstinate  unbelievers  who,  knowing  the 
rich  and  prodigious  spiritual  draught  effected  by  the 
apostles  by  preaching  the  gospel,  still  refuse  to  ac- 
knowledge the  truth  and  to  confess  the  divinity  of  the 
Catholic  religion,  which  has  so  often  been  proved  be- 
yond all  doubt. 

4 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  events  recorded 

in  this  Gospel? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  from  the  multitude  to  be  anx- 
ious to  hear  the  word  of  God.  From  St.  Peter  we 
are  to  learn  to  obey  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  humble  our- 
selves, ha\'ing  our  unworthiness  before  our  eyes,  when 
God  favors  us  and  makes  us  the  instruments  of  His 
wonders.  From  the  apostles,  who  abandoned  their 
ships  and  nets,  we  are  to  learn  to  abandon  the  things 
of  the  world,  to  give  up  our  affections,  even  our  own 
selves,  in  order  to  follow  the  voice  of  God  when  He 
vouchsafes  to  call  us.  Since  Jesus  Christ  has  suffi- 
ciently instructed  the  world.  He  has  in  a  certain  sense 
finished  His  discourse,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned ;  let 
us,  therefore,  launch  out  into  the  deep;  let  us  work, 
and.  disengaging  our  hearts  from  the  world,  follow 
our  Master  on  the  way  to  heaven. 


164  FIFTH    SUNDAY     A.FTER    PENTECOST. 


FIFTH  SUNDAY   AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  vSt.  Matthew  v.  20-24. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "For  I  tell 
you,  that  unless  your  justice  abound  more  than  that  of 
the  scribes  and  Pharisees  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven.  You  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them 
of  old:  Thou  shalt  not  kill,  and  whosoever  shall  kill  shall 
be  in  danger  of  the  judgment.  But  I  say  to  you,  that 
whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother  shall  be  in  danger 
of  the  judgment.  And  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother, 
Raca,  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  council.  And  whosoever 
shall  say,  Thou  fool,  shall  be  in  danger  of  hell-fire.  If 
therefore  thou  offer  thy  gift  at  the  altar,  and  there  thou 
remember  that  thy  brother  hath  anything  against  thee, 
leave  there  thy  offering  before  the  altar,  and  go  first  to 
be  reconciled  to  thy  brother;  and  then  coming  thou  shalt 
offer  thy  gift. " 

Q.  What  did  Christ  mean  by  the  first  words  of  this 
Gospel  ? 

A.  He  meant  to  teach  the  apostles,  and  all  futnre 
Christians,  that  in  order  to  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  it  is  necessary  to  be  more  just  and  holy 
than  the  Pharisees  claimed  to  be.  The  people  thought 
the  Pharisees  were  holy  and  most  just  men,  but  their 
justice  and  sanctity  was  only  apparent  and  super- 
ficial. They  were  very  exact  in  the  observance  of 
the  external  ceremonies,  of  the  ablutions,  and  in 
paying  the  tithes ;  but  they  cared  not  about  the  inte- 
rior vices  of  the  heart,  and  while  they  appeared  to  be 
immaculate,  they  w^ere  full  of  malice  and  corruption. 
Hence,  Christ  said  that,  in   order  to   enter  into   the 


FIFTH     SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOST.  165 

kingdom  of  heaven,  it  was  necessary  to  be  more  holy 
than  the  Pharisees ;  that  is,  to  be  holy  in  fact,  and  not 
merely  in  appearance. 

Q.   And  what  did  He  mean  by  the  words  that  follow  ? 

A.  He  intended  to  explain  fully  and  to  perfect  the 
commandment  that  forbids  homicide,  by  forbidding  in- 
ternal feelings  of  anger,  reproachful  words,  and  con- 
tempt, which,  like  so  many  steps,  lead  to  the  killing  of 
our  neighbor,  endeavoring  thus  to  prevent  the  viola- 
tion of  that  commandment  in  its  very  birth. 

Q.  How  are  we  to  understand  these  words :  "  Who- 
soever is  angry  with  his  brother  shall  be  in  danger  of 
the  judgment"? 

A.  We  are  to  understand  that  every  act  and  every 
feeling  of  anger  against  our  neighbor,  whethe^  for  a 
grave  or  slight  matter,  will  be  judged  by  God  as  de- 
serving of  punishment,  and  that  He  will  punish  it 
according  to  its  degree  of  malice. 

Q.   How  do  you  explain  the  other  words? 

A.  The  word  Raca,  according  to  St.  Jerome,  is  a 
Hebrew  or  Syriac  word,  which  means  the  same  as 
simpleton,  one  good  for  nothing,  etc.  Everybody 
knows  that  such  reproachful  words  are  the  first  ex- 
pressions of  anger  which  go  to  increase  the  anger, 
and  which  are  greater  sins  than  the  merely  internal 
emotion  of  anger.  Hence  Christ  says  that  he  who 
offends  his  neighbor  by  such  words  shall  be  sum- 
moned before  the  council,  that  is,  the  sanhedrim, 
composed  of  the  senators  of  the  people,  to  be  sen- 
tenced according  to  his  guilt;  which,  after  mature  de- 
liberation, they  do  according  to  the  greater  or  lesser 
malice  of  the  culprit.  Let  us  learn  from  this  that 
God  will  judge  the  words  we  utter  against  our  neigh- 


1 66  FIFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

bor;  that  He  will  weigh  all  the  circumstances;  that  is, 
whether  we  uttered  such  w^ords  inadvertently  or  pur- 
posely, whether  we  were  taken  by  surprise  or  not ; 
He  will  take  into  consideration  who  the  offended 
person  is,  and  w^ho  the  culprit;  and,  according  to  the 
malice,  God  will  sentence  the  sinner  to  the  punish- 
ment he  deserves,  either  temporal  or  eternal. 

Q.  Explain  these  words :  "  Whosoever  shall  say 
to  his  brother,  thou  fool,  shall  be  guilty  of  hell-fire." 

A.  According  to  St.  Jerome,  Christ  intended  to  say 
hell,  when  He  said  fire  of  Gehenna,  that  is,  the  fiercest 
fire ;  and  He  declared  him  guilty  of  hell  who  in  anger 
would  sa}^  to  his  brother,  thou  fool.  However,  by 
this  parable  are  understood  all  those  insults  or  acts 
of  contempt  which  grievously  dishonor  our  neighbor ; 
so  that  if  it  be  a  grievous  sin  to  call  another  a  fool,  it 
is  much  more  so  to  call  him  a  thief,  an  impostor,  or 
libertine,  which  is  so  often  done. 

Q.   What  does  Christ  further  command  us  to  do? 

A.  He  commands  us  to  be  reconciled  to  our  neigh- 
bor whom  w^e  have  offended  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
to  give  him  satisfaction.  The  Jews  thought  they 
-could  atone  for  any  sin,  even  for  murder,  by  making 
an  offering  in  the  temple;  and  Jesus  Christ  com- 
manded them  not  to  make  the  offering  until  they 
had  made  peace  with  their  neighbor,  which  they 
should  do  immediately.  We,  also,  are  bound  by  this 
command;  and  hence,  if  we  have  either  in  word  or 
deed  offended  a  person,  before  we  pray  or  receive 
the  sacraments  we  should  banish  from  our  heart  all 
angry  feeling ;  we  should,  as  soon  as  possible,  give  sat- 
isfaction and  ask  pardon  of  the  person  offended ;  and 
we  should  show  that  we  entertain  no  feelings  of  re- 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  1 67 

sentment,  and  if  we  have  been  offended  we  must  be 
ready  to  forgive. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  that  to  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  we  must  be  really  and  not  apparently 
good ;  that  is,  we  must  have  an  upright  heart  animated 
by  charity  and  subject  in  all  things  to  the  holy  law 
of  God,  always  bearing  in  mind  that  true  justice 
does  not  consist  in  the  external  practices  of  devotion, 
but  rather  in  the  purity  of  conscience,  in  the  abnega- 
tion of  our  w411,  and  in  the  control  of  our  passions. 
We  are  also  to  learn  to  abstain  from  any  act  of  an- 
ger, and  from  saying  anything  that  can  offend  or 
grieve  our  neighbor.  Lastly,  we  are  to  learn  not  to 
be  slow  in  making  peace  with  our  neighbor  whenever 
we  have  displeased  him,  and  also  not  to  make  a  rec- 
onciliation difficult. 


SIXTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Mark  viii.  1-9. 

AT  that  time :  "  When  there  was  a  great  multitude, 
and  they  had  nothing  to  eat,  calling  His  disciples 
together,  He  saith  to  them :  I  have  compassion  on  the 
multitude,  for  behold  they  have  now  been  with  ^le  three 
days  and  have  nothing  to  eat.  And  if  I  shall  send  them 
away  fasting  to  their  home  they  will  faint  in  the  way, 
for  some  of  them  came  from  afar  off.  And  His  disciples 
answered  Him :  From  whence  can  any  one  fill  them  here 
with  bread,  m  the  wilderness?  And  He  asked  them: 
How  many  loaves  have  ye?  Who  said:  seven.  And  He 
commanded  the  multitude  to  sit  down  upon  the  ground. 
And  taking  the  seven  loaves,  giving  thanks,  He  broke, 


l68  SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

and  gave  to  His  disciples  to  set  before  them,  and  they 
set  them  before  the  people.  And  they  had  a  few  little 
fishes:  and  He  blessed  them,  and  commanded  them  to  be 
set  before  them.  And  they  did  eat,  and  were  filled,  and 
they  took  up  that  which  was  left  of  the  fragments,  seven 
baskets.  And  they  that  had  eaten  were  about  four  thou- 
sand: and  He  sent  them  away." 

Q.   Of  whom  is  this  multitude  a  figure? 

A.  It  may  be  said  in  the  first  place  to  be  a  figure  of 
all  those  who  lived  before  Christ.  In  the  second 
place  it  was  a  figure  of  the  Jewish  people,  and  lastly 
of  the  Gentiles.  The  first  could  not  behold  Christ, 
the  Saviour,  Whom  they  so  ardently  expected.  The 
Jews  had  only  figures,  shadows,  and  carnal  vic- 
tims, which  could  not  nourish  their  souls ;  and  the 
Gentiles  were  dying  of  hunger,  because  they  had 
nothing  but  prejudices,  evil  habits,  and  vices  that 
were  leading  them  to  perdition.  Happy  are  we  who 
have  received  the  bread  of  life  which  nourishes, 
strengthens,  and  sanctifies  our  souls  in  the  desert  of 
this  world ! 

Q.  And  those  who  came  from  afar,  of  whom  are 
they  a  figure? 

A.  They  are  a  figure  of  the  Gentiles.  The  Jews, 
by  the  vocation  of  Abraham  and  by  the  law  of  Moses, 
were  on  the  way  to  meet  the  Saviour,  and  were  very 
near  to  Him,  because  He  was  to  be  born  in  their 
midst.  The  Gentiles,  on  the  contrary,  were  far  from 
Him,  because  their  ignorance,  their  superstitions,  and 
their  immoralities  made  them  strangers  to  God  and 
placed  them  out  of  the  way  of  salvation.  Yet  they 
also  came  to  hear  Christ,  they  enjoyed  the  effects  of 
His  mercy,  they  were  fed  with  His  doctrine,  and  were 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  1 69 

nourished  with  the  food  of  life.  As  to  ourselves,  how- 
ever, those  persons  who  came  from  afar  off  represent 
those  sinners  who,  like  the  prodigal  son,  go  to  a  dis- 
tant country,  that  is,  far  from  their  heavenly  home, 
following  their  passions,  and  they  come,  indeed, 
from  afar  off  when  they  come  to  hear  the  word  of 
God,  by  means  of  which  they  find  God  disposed  to 
have  compassion  on  them,  and  to  feed  them  with  the 
bread  of  His  grace  and  to  provide  for  them,  that  they 
may  not  grow  faint  on  the  road  they  still  have  to  walk 
in  the  exercise  of  penance.  What  a  consolation  for 
poor  sinners! 

Q.  What  is  to  be  said  of  the  compassion  of  Jesus 
Christ? 

A.  We  are  to  admire  the  greatness  of  His  love  for 
our  souls.  We  live  on  this  earth  as  in  the  midst  of  a 
desert,  where  there  is  nothing  that  will  satisfy  our 
souls.  But  Jesus  Christ  does  not  forget  our  misery; 
He  knows  even  our  least  wants ;  He  has  a  most  ten- 
der compassion  for  us,  and  He  provides  abundantly 
for  us. 

Q.   How  do  you  infer  this  from  the  Gospel? 

A.  Because  Jesus  Christ,  as  St.  Gregory  says, 
taught  sometimes  by  word  of  mouth  and  sometimes 
by  His  actions.  Hence  in  all  that  He  did  to  the  mul- 
titude in  this  day's  Gospel  we  see  what  He  continu- 
ally does  in  our  souls.  Following  the  Gospel,  we  see 
Jesus  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  who  crowd  around 
Him ;  He  notices  how  pale  and  weak  they  are ;  He 
sees  the  effects  of  their  fast ;  He  is  moved  at  such  a 
sight,  and  consults  with  His  apostles  about  supplying 
food  for  so  great  a  multitude.  He  causes  the  little 
they  had  taken  with   them  for  their  own  use  to  be 


170  SIXTH    SUNDAY     AFTER    PExNTECOST. 

placed  before  Him,  and  had  the  apostles  distribute  it 
with  the  utmost  impartiality,  giving  so  abundantly 
that  seven  baskets  of  fragments  remained.  Now,  ac- 
cording to  the  teachings  of  faith,  we  should  see  Jesus 
ever  watching  over  our  souls,  weighing  and  measur- 
ing the  needs  of  each  one,  having  pity  for  all  and  giv- 
ing forth  to  all  His  doctrines.  His  light.  His  graces, 
His  sacraments.  His  body,  and  His  merits.  All  this 
He  does  by  the  ministry  of  His  priests,  without  regard 
to  person,  sex,  or  age,  and  provides  all  with  abundant 
means  to  live  faithful  to  Him  in  this  world  and  happy 
with  Him  in  the  next. 

Q.   What  do  the  seven  loaves  signify? 

A.  According  to  the  sacred  interpreters  they  sig- 
nify the  seven  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  our  Di- 
vine Saviour  makes  use  of  to  preserve  the  life  of  our 
soul,  strengthening  it  to  walk  in  the  midst  of  dangers, 
to  overcome  the  temptations,  and  to  grow  in  virtue 
and  Christian  perfection. 

Q.   And  what  did  the  little  fishes  signify? 

A.  Those  fishes  served  to  render  the  bread  more 
agreeable  to  the  taste,  and  they  signify  all  that  which 
renders  easier  the  observance  of  the  divine  word, 
which  is  the  ordinary  food  of  our  soul.  The  ex- 
ample of  Jesus  Christ,  Who  practised  all  the  precepts 
which  He  gave  us  in  His  holy  law,  the  lights  which 
our  mind  receives,  the  joy  our  heart  feels  in  doing 
good,  the  confidence  that  supports  us  in  leading  a 
Christian  life  in  the  midst  of  difficulties — these  are 
the  exquisite  food  which  renders  the  observance  of 
the  commandments  easy  and  pleasant  to  us. 

O.  What  are  we  to  do  to  make  good  use  of  these 
spiritual  nourishments  ? 


SIXTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  171 

A.  To  make  good  use  of  these  spiritual  nourish- 
ments we  must  pray  God  to  give  and  preserve  in  us 
the  gift  of  His  habitual  grace ;  we  must  receive  His 
favors  with  humility  and  a  deep  sense  of  gratitude ;  we 
must  put  into  practice  the  lights  and  the  instructions 
which  we  have  received,  and  we  must  always  be 
obedient  to  the  legitimate  successors  of  the  apostles, 
who  are  the  dispensers  of  the  food  of  life. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  multitude  in  this 
day's  Gospel? 

A.  This  multitude  remained  with  Christ  for  three 
days,  and,  although  they  were  hungry  and  had  noth- 
ing to  relieve  their  hunger,  still  they  cared  not  for 
their  body,  preferring  the  welfare  of  their  soul  to 
the  most  urgent  wants  of  the  body.  From  this  we 
learn  to  esteem  and  value  highly  the  word  of  God,  to 
be  anxious  to  hear  the  same,  and  to  suffer  coura- 
geously every  bodily  inconvenience  when  there  is 
question  of  the  welfare  of  our  soul. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  Jesus  Christ? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  to  have  compassion  for  our 
brethren  who  are  in  want,  and,  as  He  used  the  bread 
reserved  for  Himself  and  for  the  apostles  to  feed  the 
people,  so  also  must  we  take  pleasure  in  depriving 
ourselves  of  something  in  order  to  help  the  poor. 


172  SEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 


SEl^ENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  vii.  15-21. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "Beware 
of  false  prophets,  who  come  to  you  in  the  clothing 
of  sheep,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves.  By 
their  fruits  you  shall  know  them.  Do  men  gather  grapes 
of  thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles?  Even  so  every  good  tree 
bringeth  forth  good  fruit,  and  the  evil  tree  bringeth  forth 
evil  fruit.  A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit, 
neither  can  an  evil  tree  bring  forth  good  fruit.  Every 
tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  shall  be  cut  down 
and  shall  be  cast  into  the  fire.  Wherefore  by  their  fruits 
you  shall  know  them.  Not  every  one  that  saith  to  Me, 
Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven :  but 
he  that  doth  the  will  of  My  Father  Who  is  in  heaven,  he 
shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

Q.   Who  were  called  prophets  in  the  Scriptures? 

A.  The  word  prophet  means  a  person  who,  being 
inspired  by  God,  announces  future  events  and  foretells 
what  will  take  place  in  the  remotest  times  in  regard 
to  the  people  and  religion  by  the  immutable  will  of 
the  Lord.  But  the  name  of  prophet  was  also  given  to 
all  those  good  and  holy  men  who,  in  the  name  of 
God,  taught  religion  to  the  people;  who  corrected,  ad- 
vised, and  consoled  them  unto  eternal  life,  as  circum- 
stances required. 

Q.  Of  whom,  then,  did  Christ  speak  in  this  day's 
Gospel  ? 

A.  As  we  can  call  a  true  prophet  a  good  and 
learned  man  who,  animated  by  holy  zeal,  instructs  the 


SEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  T73 

people  in  their  religion,  corrects  their  faults,  consoles 
them  in  affliction,  so  we  must  call  him  a  false  prophet 
who,  moved  by  passion,  self-interest,  and  corrup- 
tion of  heart,  misleads  his  neighbor  by  doctrines  con- 
trary to  faith  and  good  morals.  From  this  we 
understand  that  when  Jesus  tells  us  to  beware  of 
false  prophets  He  exhorts  us  to  beware  of  those  false 
teachers  who  spread  error  and  immorality  by  the 
false  doctrine  coming  from  pride  of  mind  and  from  a 
corrupt  heart.  Such  false  prophets  among  the  Jews 
were  the  scribes  and  the  doctors  of  the  law,  who 
endeavored  to  keep  them  away  from  Christ.  False 
prophets  in  regard  to  us  are  all  those  who,  under  ap- 
pearance of  zeal  for  religion  and  love  for  the  truth, 
strive  to  spread  doctrines  which  do  not  harmonize 
with  the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  say  that  the  false  prophets  pre- 
sent themselves  in  the  clothing  of  sheep,  whereas 
they  are  wolves? 

A.  Consider  the  scribes  and  doctors  of  the  law 
who  lived  at  the  time  of  Christ.  They  were  very 
rigorous  in  the  exterior  observance  of  the  law ;  they 
appeared  to  be  devoured  by  holy  zeal  in  all  things, 
and  they  were  admired  by  the  people  as  models  of 
sanctity — here  they  are  lambs.  But  they  were,  in 
fact,  filled  with  envy  and  hatred ;  they  were  avaricious, 
vindictive,  covetous,  hypocritical,  and  they  sent 
Christ  to  the  cross — here  they  are  rapacious  wolves. 
Such,  also,  have  always  been  the  heretics,  innovators, 
and  teachers  of  iniquity.  Their  words  appear  to 
breathe  the  pure  love  of  truth,  a  desire  to  help  their 
neighbor,  and  an  ardent  zeal  for  man's  welfare  by 
wishing  to  enlighten  his  mind  and  to  reform  his  heart, 


174  SEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

and  on  this  account  they  appear  as  lambs.  But  if 
you  examine  their  manner  of  living  and  the  object 
of  their  doctrine  you  will  find  that  they  are  moved 
by  a  spirit  of  hatred,  of  pride,  of  sensuality,  of  avar- 
ice, and  by  a  mania  to  draw  you  from  God  and  thus 
cause  your  eternal  ruin — here  they  appear  as  wolves 
panting  for  their  prey. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  say  that  we  would  know  the 
false  prophets  by  their  works? 

A.  As  plants  are  known  by  their  fruit,  so  also  are 
false  prophets  known  by  their  works.  Thorns  will  not 
bring  forth  grapes,  nor  can  you  gather  figs  from  this- 
tles. In  the  same  manner  a  corrupt  heart  cannot  pro- 
duce good  actions ;  and  if  a  hypocrite  does  something 
now  and  then  that  is  good  in  itself,  you  will  in  a  short 
time  discover  the  motive  of  his  actions.  A  corrupt 
heart  will  strive  to  conceal  itself,  but  its  hypocrisy  is 
revealed  by  its  actions.  The  style  of  dress,  conver- 
sation, recreations,  amusements,  friendships,  etc., 
plainly  show  the  true  condition  of  the  heart. 

Q.   How  can  we  say  this? 

A.  We  say  it  upon  the  authority  of  Christ.  A  good 
tree  cannot  bring  forth  bad  fruit,  and  a  bad  tree  can- 
not bring  forth  good  fruit.  The  same  is  the  case 
with  the  heart  of  man.  An  humble,  patient,  modest, 
and  devout  person,  a  person  fearing  God,  will,  as  a 
rule,  not  commit  sins  against  those  beautiful  virtues, 
unless  suddenly  surprised  by  human  frailty.  But 
a  proud,  dissolute,  and  avaricious  person  will  fall  at 
the  slightest  occasion  and  show  his  true  self,  no 
matter  how  hard  he  tries  to  conceal  it. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  want  to  teach  us  by  saying  that 


SEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  175 

every  tree  that  brings  not  forth  good  fruit  shall  be  cut 
down? 

A.  He  wished  to  teach  us  that  it  is  not  enough  to 
abstain  from  doing  evil.  God  expects  that  when  we 
avoid  evil  we  should  also  practise  the  Christian  virtues 
according  to  our  state  of  life,  and  correspond  faith- 
fully with  the  graces  we  have  received.  Call  to  mind 
the  servant  who  was  punished  because  he  did  not  trade 
with  the  talent  he  had  received,  and  the  tree  that  was 
ordered  to  be  cut  down  because  it  brought  forth  no 
fruit,  though  covered  with  rich  foliage.  Woe  to  us  if 
we  are  good  Christians  only  in  appearance,  and  do 
not  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  good  actions ! 

Q.  What  is  the  last  remark  to  be  made  on  this 
Gospel  ? 

A.  We  must  observe  what  Jesus  Christ  says,  that 
not  every  man  who  says  to  Him,  Lord,  Lord,  will 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  only  those 
who  do  the  will  of  His  Eternal  Father.  Many  Chris- 
tians flatter  themselves  that  they  please  God,  because 
they  daily  say  a  certain  number  of  prayers,  assist  at 
the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  mass,  and  are  always  present 
at  the  benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament;  but 
they  should  reflect  that  all  this  is  of  no  account  if 
they  do  not  faithfully  observe  the  holy  law  of  God. 
True  devotion  consists  in  the  perfect  denial  of  our- 
selves and  in  conforming  ourselves  in  all  things  to 
the  will  of  God.  He  who  observes  in  all  things  the 
law  of  the  gospel  will  enter  into  paradise,  but  he  who 
makes  devotion  consist  in  words  only  will  be  excluded 
by  Christ  from  the  number  of  the  elect. 


176  EIGHTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 


EIGHTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 
Gospel:  St.  Luke  xvi.  1-9. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  spoke  to  His  disciples  this  par- 
able :  '*  There  was  a  certain  rich  man  who  had  a 
steward:  and  the  same  was  accused  unto  him,  that  he 
had  wasted  his  goods.  And  he  called  him,  and  said  to 
him:  How  is  it  that  I  hear  this  of  thee?  give  an  account 
of  thy  stewardship,  for  now  thou  canst  be  steward  no 
longer.  And  the  steward  said  within  himself:  What 
shall  I  do,  because  my  lord  taketh  away  from  me  the 
stewardship?  To  dig  I  am  not  able;  to  beg  I  am 
ashamed.  I  know  what  I  will  do,  that  when  I  shall  be 
removed  from  the  stewardship  they  may  receive  me  into 
their  houses.  Therefore,  calling  together  every  one  of 
his  lord's  debtors,  he  said  to  the  first:  How  much  dost 
thou  owe  my  lord?  But  he  said:  An  hundred  barrels  of 
oil.  And  he  said  to  him:  Take  thy  bill  and  sit  down 
quickly,  and  write  fifty.  Then  he  said  to  another:  And 
how  much  dost  thou  owe?  Who  said:  An  hundred 
quarters  of  w^heat.  He  said  to  him:  Take  thy  bill,  and 
write  eighty.  And  the  lord  commended  the  unjust  stew- 
ard, forasmuch  as  he  had  done  wisely:  for  the  children 
of  this  world  are  w4ser  in  their  generation  than  the  chil- 
dren of  light.  And  I  say  to  you:  Make  unto  you  friends 
of  the  mammon  of  iniquity:  that  when  you  shall  fail  they 
may  receive  you  into  everlasting  dwellings." 

Q.   Why  did  Christ  speak  this  parable? 

A.  With  this  parable  Christ  intended  to  rebuke  the 
avarice  of  the  Pharisees,  who  made  bad  use  of  their 
worldly  goods ;  and  besides,  He  advises  us  to  make 
good  use  of  riches,  especially  w^hen  they  have  been 


EIGHTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  1 77 

acquired  by  violatin^^  in  some  manner  the  law  of  God 
and  by  offending  the  Divine  Majesty. 

Q.   Of  whom  is  the  steward  of  this  parable  a  figure? 

A.  This  man,  as  you  see,  had  the  management  of 
a  large  estate,  and  as  this  was  not  his,  but  his  mas- 
ter's property,  he  had  no  right  whatever  to  do  with 
it  as  he  pleased,  to  neglect  or  squander  it,  and  for 
this  reason  w^as  he  accused  of  being  an  unfaithful  ser- 
vant and  was  dismissed.  Now  this  steward  is  a 
figure  of  ourselves,  w^ho  are  the  administrators  of  the 
treasures  which  God,  the  Author  of  all  good,  has  con- 
fided to  our  care.  Life,  health,  talent,  beauty,  no- 
bility, riches,  all  that  we  have,  are  so  many  trusts 
that  God  has  placed  in  our  hands,  which  we  are  to 
manage  for  our  benefit,  but  only  in  the  manner  pre- 
scribed by  Him,  and  not  otherwise.  Whenever,  there- 
fore, we  make  a  different  use  of  them,  we  are  guilty 
before  God  of  maladministration  and  of  unfaithful- 
ness, like  the  servant  in  the  Gospel.  Alas !  What  use 
have  we  so  far  made  of  so  many  good  things  which 
we  have  received  from  God?  What  have  we  done 
wiih  our  worldly  goods,  with  our  health,  with  our 
senses? 

Q.  What  does  the  master's  treatment  of  the  un- 
faithful servant  signify  ? 

A.  The  master,  having  learned  of  the  steward's  un- 
faithfulness, immediately  demands  of  him  an  account 
of  his  stewardship,  and  gives  him  notice  that  he  is  dis- 
missed from  office.  This  means  that  God  will  also 
one  day  call  upon  us  to  render  an  account  to  Him  of 
the  use  we  have  made  of  His  gifts,  temporal  and 
spiritual,  and  from  that  moment  we  can  no  longer 
have  any  use  of  them,  because  God  will  then  sit  in 
12 


lyg  EIGHTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

judgment  upon  us;  this  judgment  takes  place  imme- 
diately after  our  death.  What  a  terrible  moment  that 
will  be  for  many  unhappy  Christians ! 

Q.   Are  the  words  of  the  steward  applicable  to  us? 

A.  Certainly.  He  knew  that  he  could  not  con- 
tinue in  office;  he  thought  his  situation  over,  and 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  unable  to  do  hard 
manual  work,  and  that  he  was  ashamed  to  beg.  Now 
we  should  reflect  thus :  When  we  are  dying  we  can 
work  no  more,  we  cannot  then  make  good  the  abuse 
of  the  heavenly  gifts  by  making  a  good  use  of  them ; 
we  can  no  longer  work  by  doing  penance,  by  invoking 
the  help  of  a  merciful  God,  or  the  protection  of  the 
saints,  because  then  the  days  of  mercy  and  of  the 
protection  of  the  saints  are  over,  and  the  days  of 
rigorous  justice  and  eternal  punishment  commence. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  the  steward's  expedient 
to  provide  for  himself? 

A.  It  was  wicked,  and  if  his  master  praised  him, 
it  was  not  on  account  of  his  stealing,  but  on  account 
of  the  prudence  and  sagacity  he  displayed  in  provid- 
ing for  the  future  by  making  friends  for  himself  who 
would  assist  him  in  want  after  he  had  lost  his  employ- 
ment. Let  us  also  learn  to  think  seriously  of  the  fu- 
ture, and  to  prevent  misfortunes  to  our  souls. 

Q.  What  conclusion  did  the  Divine  Master  draw 
from  this? 

A.  He  said:  ''  Make  unto  you  friends  of  the  mam- 
mon of  iniquity,  that  when  you  shall  fail  they  may 
receive  you  into  everlasting  dwellings."  By  these 
words  He  counsels  us,  or,  rather,  He  commands  us, 
to  think  betimes  of  our  future  wants,  and  to  make 
friends  for  ourselves  in  heaven,  by  making  good  use 


NINTH    SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOST.  I  79 

of  the  worldly  goods  we  possess;  that  is,  by  doing 
works  of  mercy.  Reflect  that  worldly  possessions 
are  sometimes  acquired  by  unjust  means ;  for  instance, 
by  fraud,  by  theft,  by  usury ;  and  sometimes  our  an- 
cestors, parents,  or  we  ourselves  have  gained  them  by 
too  much  greed  or  anxiety,  which  is  contrary  to  that 
detachment  from  worldly  things  which  a  Christian 
should  cherish.  Hence  in  either  case  they  deserve 
to  be  called  the  fruits  of  iniquity.  Now  Christ  speaks 
here  of  the  latter  kind,  and  as  restitution  must  be  made 
of  the  former,  which  have  been  acquired  by  fraud, 
theft,  and  usury,  so  also  does  He  advise  us  to  use  that 
which  has  been  amassed  by  sinful  anxiety  in  doing 
works  of  mercy,  in  helping  the  poor,  in  offering  sac- 
rifice for  the  dead,  in  honoring  the  saints,  so  that  like 
pow^erful  and  influential  friends  they  may  interest 
themselves  in  our  behalf  before  God,  obtain  for  us  the 
divine  assistance  during  life,  pardon  in  death,  and 
joy  in  heaven. 


NINTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 
Gospel:  St.  Luke  xix.  41-47. 

AT  that  time:  "When  Jesus  drew  near,  seeing  the 
city,  He  wept  over  it,  saying:  If  thou  also  hadst 
known,  and  that  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  that  are  to 
thy  peace;  but  now  they  are  hidden  from  thy  eyes.  For 
the  day  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  thy  enemies  shall  casta 
trench  about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round,  and  straighten 
thee  on  every  side,  and  beat  thee  flat  to  the  ground,  and 
thy  children  who  are  in  thee :  and  they  shall  not  leave 
in  thee  a  stone  upon  a  stone,  because  thou  hast  not  known 
the  time  of  thy  visitation.     And  entering  into  the  temple, 


l8o  NINTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

He  began  to  cast  out  them  that  sold  therein,  and  them 
that  bought,  saying  to  them:  It  is  written:  'My  house 
is  the  house  of  prayer ; '  but  you  have  made  it  a  den  of 
thieves.     And  He  was  teaching  daily  in  the  temple." 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  weep  on  seeing  Jerusalem? 

A.  Tears  are  generally  considered  as  a  sign  of 
weakness,  but  sometimes  they  are  certainly  a  token 
of  great  love.  The  latter  was  the  case  wath  Jesus 
Christ.  At  beholding  that  unfortunate  city  He 
thought  of  her  blindness,  obstinacy,  and  ingratitude 
for  the  many  favors  which  God  had  bestowed  on  her. 
He  thought  of  the  anger  of  God  which  she  had  pro- 
voked, and  of  the  afflictions  that  would  one  day  befall 
her  on  account  of  her  crimes,  and,  moved  by  His  ten- 
der charity.  He  shed  tears  over  her  unhappy  fate, 

Q.  Were  the  predictions  of  Jesus  in  regard  to  Jeru- 
salem verified? 

A.  Read  history.  Forty  years  after  the  death  of 
the  Redeemer  that  city  was  surrounded  on  every  side 
by  the  army  of  Titus,  shut  off  from  all  communication 
by  three  impassable  barriers,  divided  by  factions, 
oppressed  by  pestilence,  hunger,  and  thirst,  and 
crushed  by  unheard-of  horrors  and  misery.  People 
seeking  safety  by  flight  jumped  from  the  walls  and 
■were  killed  by  the  fall  or  put  to  death  by  the  Roman 
soldiers.  Bloody  contests  between  the  factions  fre- 
quently took  place  in  the  public  squares  and  streets. 
Human  bodies  were  decaying,  old  people  were  dying 
of  hunger,  and  mothers  in  despair  ate  the  flesh  of 
their  own  children  whom  they  had  killed.  In  the 
heavens  phantom  armies  were  seen  waging  war,  and 
m  the  temple  the  voices  of  angels  w^ere  heard  crying: 
"  Let  us  depart  hence,  let  us  depart. "    The  Roman  sol- 


NINTH    SU^•DA^•    AFTER    PENTECOST.  l8l 

diers  finally  entered  the  city  with  the  sword  in  one  hand 
and  the  torch  in  the  other.  They  deluged  the  streets 
with  blood,  they  set  the  houses,  fortifications,  and 
temple  on  fire,  the  whole  city  was  reduced  to  ashes, 
a  stone  remained  not  on  a  stone,  as  had  been  foretold. 
Was  not  the  awful  prediction  of  Christ  fulfilled? 

Q.  Of  whom  was  Jerusalem  a  figure? 

A.  Jerusalem  was  a  figure  of  the  hardened  sinner 
who  does  not  profit  by  the  grace  of  God,  by  remorse 
of  conscience,  by  the  couUvSels  of  his  friends,  or  by 
the  exhortations  of  the  ministers  of  the  Church.  In 
remaining  obstinate  and  in  resisting  the  call  of  divine 
mercy  the  sinner  exposes  himself  to  the  danger  of  be- 
ing finally  abandoned  by  God,  and  of  becoming  a 
victim  of  that  unspeakable  misery  and  horror  which 
generally  accompany  final  impenitence. 

Q.  How  do  we  see,  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
the  fate  of  the  hardened  sinner? 

A.  When  an  obstinate  sinner  is  abandoned  by  God, 
bad  habits,  the  occasions  of  sin,  and  human  respect 
so  control  him  that  he  is  almost  forced  to  commit  sin, 
and  is  unable  to  amend  his  life.  A  perfect  chaos  reigns 
in  his  heart;  he  washes  to  be  in  peace  with  God,  but 
he  also  wants  to  sin.  He  would  like  to  enjoy  peace  of 
heart,  but  he  also  wants  to  gratify  his  passions.  He 
fails  in  good  works,  is  deprived  of  spiritual  help,  and 
carried  away  by  corruption ;  he  cares  no  longer  for 
friends,  parents,  family,  or  for  himself.  The  thought 
of  the  punishment  due  his  iniquities  causes  him  to 
despair.  He  dies  and,  from  temporal,  he  passes  to 
eternal  sufferings. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  conclude  from  this? 

A.   It  is  the  greatest  misfortune  to  close  our  ears  to 


l82  TENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

the  voice  of  God  when  He  comes  to  visit  us  with  His 
grace.  We  should,  therefore,  profit  by  the  call  and 
invitation  of  the  Lord  while  we  have  time,  so  that  He 
may  not  abandon  us  as  He  did  ungrateful  Jerusalem. 

Q.   What  else  is  related  in  the  Gospel  of  to-day? 

A.  It  is  related  that  Jesus  Christ  cast  out  of  the 
temple  those  who  were  carrying  on  a  profane  traffic. 
From  this  we  are  to  learn  that  we  provoke  Christ 
when  we  seek  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  anything  but 
God.  If  we  go  to  church  out  of  habit  or  curiosity,  or 
to  pass  the  time ;  if  we  are  distracted,  undevout,  ir- 
reverent ;  if  we  go  to  see  or  be  seen ;  if,  in  a  word,  we 
act  like  sinners  in  the  house  of  prayer,  we  deserve  to 
be  driven  out,  and  we  deserve  to  feel  the  weight  of 
God's  anger,  for  He  is  jealous  of  His  house,  where  He 
expects  our  adoration  and  dispenses  His  mercies. 


TENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  xviii.  9-14. 

AT  that  time:  "To  some  who  trusted  in  themselves  as 
just  and  despised  others  Jesus  spoke  this  parable: 
Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray:  the  one  a 
Pharisee  and  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee  stand- 
ing prayed  thus  with  himself:  O  God!  I  give  Thee 
thanks  that  I  am  not  as  the  rest  of  men:  extortioners, 
unjust,  adulterers,  as  also  is  this  publican.  I  fast  twice  in 
a  week ;  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  possess.  And  the  pub- 
lican, standing  afar  off,  would  not  so  much  as  lift  up  his 
eyes  toward  heaven,  but  struck  his  breast,  saying:  O 
God!  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner!  I  say  to  you  this  man 
went  down  into  his  house  justified  rather  than  the  other; 


TENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  183 

because  every  one  that  exalteth  himself    shall  be  hum- 
bled: and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted." 


Q.  Why  did  Jesus  Christ  speak  this  parable? 

A.  By  this  parable  the  Divine  Saviour  ^vanted  to 
teach  those  who  were  present,  as  well  as  all  future 
Christians,  how  necessary  it  is  to  close  our  eyes  to  our 
own  merits  and  virtues  in  order  to  avoid  the  sin  of 
pride.  He  assures  us  that  only  the  humble  of  heart  are 
pleasing  to  God,  and  they  alone  obtain  His  favors. 

Q.   Of  whom  was  the  Pharisee  a  figure? 

A.  The  Pharisee  was  a  true  image  of  a  man  full  of 
himself  and  carried  away  by  pride.  He  boasted  that 
he  was  not  like  other  people ;  that  he  had  no  faults, 
that  he  had  no  vices,  that  he  was  not  an  adulterer, 
but  that  he  practised  virtue  and  was  faithful  in  the 
observance  of  the  law.  But,  while  he  praised  himself, 
he  uncharitably  condemned  the  publican.  Such  is 
the  proud  man.  He  alone  is  learned,  prudent,  and 
skilful;  he  alone  is  the  model  according  to  which  all 
should  shape  their  actions ;  he  alone  is  deserving  of 
esteem,  honors,  and  preferment.  If  others  do  not 
praise  him,  he  will  do  it  himself;  and  when  he  aspires 
to  an  office  of  honor  or  to  some  distinction,  he  does 
not  scruple  to  calumniate  others,  to  be  cruel  and  to 
deceive;  he  sacrifices  all  to  his  passions,  which  he  will 
gratify  at  any  cost.  This  man  in  his  pride  would  have 
sacrificed  the  whole  Jewish  nation  if  he  could  have 
done  so. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this? 

A.  We  should  learn  to  avoid  the  vice  of  pride  and 
not  to  confide  in  our  own  good  qualities,  if  we  hap- 
pen to  have  any,  in  order  not  to  become,   like  the 


184  TENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Pharisee,  an  object  of  aversion  to  God.  To  avoid 
this  vice,  let  us  bear  in  mind  that  the  proud  man  is 
odious  to  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  God,  as  St.  Peter 
says,  resists  the  proud  and  covers  them  with  confusion, 
as  he  did  Lucifer,  the  sons  of  Babel,  Holofernes,  and 
many  others. 

Q.  But  what  are  we  to  do  when  we  know  that 
we  have  good  qualities? 

A.  We  should  then  remember  that  those  good  quali- 
ties do  not  belong  to  us,  but  that  they  are  gifts  of  the 
mercy  and  grace  of  that  God  Who,  in  a  moment,  can 
deprive  us  of  them  on  account  of  our  pride  and  of 
His  justice.  On  the  other  hand,  who  is  certain 
whether  he  deserves  love  or  hatred,  notwithstanding 
the  good  testimony  of  his  conscience?  Urias  thought 
he  was  a  favorite  of  his  sovereign ;  and,  full  of  this  con- 
fidence, he  carried  in  his  own  hand  the  irrevocable  de- 
cree of  his  death.  The  Bishops  of  Ephesus,  Per- 
gamus,  Sardis,  and  Laodicea  believed  they  wxre  near 
God,  whilst  God  Himself  complained  of  them  to  St. 
John,  the  apostle.  We  should  not  be  too  confident 
in  glorifying  our  own  good  qualities.  In  the  eyes  of 
God  even  the  stars  of  heaven  are  not  pure. 

Q.  Of  whom  is  the  publican  a  figure? 

A.  He  is  a  figure  of  the  sinner  who,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  knows  his  failings,  humbles  himself,  and  asks 
for  mercy.  He  would  not  even  lift  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
and  God  looked  down  on  him  with  the  eyes  of  a  father. 
He  asks  for  mercy,  and  God,  besides  forgiving  him 
his  sins,  bestows  on  him  His  benediction  and  graces. 
Let  us  learn  from  this  publican ;  let  us  not  hide  our 
sins,  but  acknowledge  them ;  let  us  prostrate  ourselves 
before  God  and  confess  that  we  are  unworthy  of  His 


ELEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  185 

favors,  but  let  us  always  hope  to  obtain  them  of  His 
infinite  goodness  through  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ, 
remembering  what  St.  Peter  said,  that  God  gives  His 
grace  to  the  humble. 

Q.   What  will  help  us  to  be  humble? 

A.  We  should  consider  what  we  were,  what  we 
are,  and  what  we  shall  be,  both  in  regard  to  soul  and 
body.  In  regard  to  the  body  we  were  once  nothing; 
now  we  are  a  clod  of  earth,  subject  to  many  miseries, 
and  one  day  we  shall  be  a  heap  of  bones  and  ashes. 
In  regard  to  the  soul  we  were  once  slaves  of  the  devil, 
vessels  of  wrath  deserving  hell,  now  we  are  in  need 
of  everything ;  we  are  poor  sinners  exposed  to  all  kinds 
of  dangers,  and  one  day  God  will  judge  whether  we 
shall  be  rewarded  with  the  saints  in  heaven  or  pun- 
ished with  the  reprobates  in  hell. 


ELEJ/ENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Mark  vii.  31-37. 

AT  that  time :  *'  Jesus  going  out  of  the  coasts  of  Tyre, 
He  came  by  Sidon  to  the  Sea  of  Galilee  through  the 
midst  of  the  coasts  of  Decapolis.  And  they  bring  to  Him 
one  deaf  and  dumb;  and  they  besought  Him  that  He 
would  lay  His  hand  upon  him.  And  taking  him  from 
the  multitude  apart.  He  put  His  fingers  into  his  ears, 
and  spitting,  He  touched  his  tongue.  And  looking  up  to 
heaven,  He  groaned,  and  said  to  him :  Ephpheta,  which 
is,  Be  thou  opened.  And  immediately  his  ears  were 
opened,  and  the  string  of  his  tongue  was  loosed,  and  he 
spoke  right.  And  He  charged  them  that  they  should  tell 
no  man.     But  the  more  He  charged  them  so  much  the 


l86  ELEVENTH    SUNDAV    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

more  a  great  deal  did  they  publish  it.  And  so  much  the 
more  did  they  wonder,  saying:  He  hath  done  all  things 
well:  He  hath  made  both  the  deaf  to  hear  and  the  dumb 
to  speak." 

Q.   Of  whom  was^he  deaf  and  dumb  man  a  figure? 

A.  He  was  a  figure  of  the  human  race,  which  by 
the  sin  of  Adam  was  rendered  unable  to  hear  the 
voice  of  salvation  and  to  pronounce  the  words  that 
would  redound  to  the  glory  of  God  and  to  the  good 
of  their  souls. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  take  him  apart  from  the  multi- 
tude? 

A.  From  this  we  should  learn  that  in  order  to 
cure  men  of  the  infirmity  of  sin  it  is  necessary  to  free 
them  from  the  superstition,  the  corruption,  and  the 
false  maxims  of  the  world,  and  to  teach  them  to  fol- 
low doctrines  and  laws  different  from  those  of  the 
Gentiles. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  put  His  finger  into  the  ears, 
and  with  His  own  spittle  touch  the  tongue  of  the  deaf 
and  dumb  man? 

A.  His  finger  signifies  the  divine  Omnipotence, 
and  the  spittle  the  divine  Wisdom.  By  so  doing  Christ 
gave  us  to  understand  that  in  order  to  open  the  ears 
and  to  loosen  the  tongue  of  our  soul  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  Who  is  the  finger  of  the  Eternal  Father, 
is  absolutely  necessary ;  but  that  the  Holy  Ghost  would 
not  have  done  this  work,  if  the  Eternal  Wisdom,  made 
man,  had  not  merited  it  for  us  by  His  passion  and 
death. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus,  before  curing  him,  raise  His 
eyes  to  heaven  and  groan? 


ELEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  1 87 

A.  By  groaning  Jesus  gave  us  to  understand  how- 
deplorable  the  condition  of  mankind  is,  which  through 
its  own  fault  has  become  deaf  and  dumb  in  regard  to 
God,  and  how  great  is  His  compassion  for  mankind. 
By  looking  up  to  heaven  He  asked  the  mercy  and 
power  of  the  Eternal  Father  to  cure  the  afflicted 
man. 

Q.  How  are  the  words,  "He  spoke  right,"  veri- 
fied in  the  human  race? 

A.  Consider  how  a  Christian,  by  virtue  of  bap- 
tism, has  his  ears  opened  to  the  voice  of  Heaven, 
and  how  he  speaks  of  God,  and  you  will  see  the  prod- 
igy realized.  If  we  hear  the  voice  that  invites  us  to 
do  good  and  abstain  from  evil ;  if  we  hear  the  voice 
that  reproaches  us  for  our  faults  and  encourages  us 
in  the  exercise  of  virtues;  if  we  confess  our  weak- 
ness and  praise  God,  all  this  is  a  prodigy  of  that 
finger  of  grace  which  opened  our  ears  and  loosened 
our  tongue  to  hear  the  truth  and  to  speak  words  of  sal- 
vation for  ourselves,  and  words  of  glory  for  the  author 
of  our  regeneration. 

Q.  Can  we  say  that  a  Christian  is  sometimes  deaf 
and  dumb? 

A.  He  is  certainly  so  if  he  is  hardened  in  sin.  He 
then  does  not  acknowledge  his  guilt,  he  does  not 
pray  to  God  or  praise  Him,  and  while  he  talks  too  much 
of  the  things  of  the  world  he  is  mute  about  the  things 
of  God.  Besides,  by  remaining  obstinate  in  his  sins 
he  does  not  hear  the  voice  of  Qrrace,  the  internal 
inspirations,  the  invitations  of  the  divine  mercy ;  and 
like  a  deaf  man  who  does  not  profit  by  the  words 
spoken  to  him,  even  for  his  own  good,  he  draws  no 
profit  from  counsel,  advice,  or  correction. 


l88  ELEVENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  forbid  the  people  to  make  this 
miracle  known? 

A.  To  teach  us  not  to  seek  human  praise  and  re- 
ward when  we  have  done  a  good  work.  By  putting- 
to  good  use  the  natural  or  supernatural  gifts  we  have 
received  from  God,  w^e  surely  can  do  great  things  for 
the  glory  of  God,  for  the  good  of  society,  and  for  our 
neighbor's  welfare;  but,  content  with  having  done 
our  duty,  we  must  not  publish  our  merit  to  the  world, 
we  must  not  wish  for  human  reward,  we  must  avoid 
all  praise  and  say  to  ourselves,  as  Jesus  commands  us, 
that  we  are  useless  servants  on  earth. 

Q.  Why  did  the  multitude  not  obey  the  command 
of  Jesus? 

A.  Here  is  another  wholesome  lesson  for  us.  Let 
us  do  all  the  good  we  can,  and  let  us  evade  the  ap- 
plause of  men  and  await  our  reward  from  God.  Af- 
ter the  example  of  the  multitude  we  are  not  bound  to 
keep  silence  when  our  benefactors  are  concerned, 
should  their  modesty  even  command  us  to  do  so. 
Let  us  praise  their  virtue,  let  us  show  our  gratitude 
and  publish  their  good  works,  when  it  will  serve  as  a 
good  example  to  society,  and  when  it  is  for  the  greater 
glory  of  the  Lord. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  all  this? 

A.  As  this  deaf  and  dumb  man  was  a  figure  of 
the  human  race,  we  are  to  learn  how  sad  our  con- 
dition has  been  through  the  fault  of  our  first  parents, 
and  we  are  to  cherish  sentiments  of  lively  gratitude 
to  Jesus  Christ,  Who  by  His  all-powerful  grace  has 
delivered  us  from  it.  As  this  man  is,  in  a  more  par- 
ticular sense,  a  figure  of  the  hardened  sinner  who 
hears  not  the  voice  of  God   and  has  no  tongue  to 


TWELFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  189 

confess  his  guilt  or  to  praise  the  Divine  Majesty,  we 
are  to  learn  to  avoid  such  a  deplorable  state  of  ob- 
stinate impenitence,  and,  after  the  example  of  the 
kind-hearted  multitude,  we  should  beseech  Jesus  to 
lay  the  hand  of  His  grace  on  our  deaf  and  dumb 
brethren  and  grant  them  that  which  is  unto  life 
eternal. 


TWELFTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 
Gospel:  St.  Luke  x.  23-37. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "Blessed 
are  the  eyes  that  see  the  things  which  you  see. 
For  I  say  to  you  that  many  prophets  and  kings  have  de- 
sired to  see  the  things  that  you  see,  and  have  not  seen 
them,  and  to  hear  the  things  that  you  hear,  and  have  not 
heard  them.  And  behold  a  certain  lawyer  stood  up, 
tempting  Him,  and  saying:  Master,  what  must  I  do  to  pos- 
sess eternal  life?  But  He  said  to  him:  What  is  written  in 
the  law?  how  readest  thou?  He  answering,  said:  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart,  and 
with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with 
all  thy  mind,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  And  He  said 
to  him:  Thou  hast  answered  right:  this  do,  and  thou 
shalt  live.  But  he,  willing  to  justify  himself,  said  to 
Jesus:  And  who  is  my  neighbor?  And  Jesus  answering, 
said:  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem  to  Jeri- 
cho and  fell  among  robbers,  who  also  stripped  him,  and, 
having  wounded  him,  went  away,  leaving  him  half  dead. 
And  it  chanced  that  a  certain  priest  went  down  the  same 
way,  and  seeing  him,  passed  by.  In  like  manner  also  a 
Levite,  when  he  was  near  the  place  and  saw  him,  passed 
by.  But  a  certain  Samaritan,  being  on  his  journey,  came 
near  him,  and  seeing  him,  was  moved  with  compassion; 


IQO  TWELFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

and  going  up  to  him,  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring  in 
oil  and  wine,  and  setting  him  upon  his  own  beast,  brought 
him  to  an  inn,  and  took  care  of  him.  And  the  next  day 
he  took  out  two  pence,  and  gave  to  the  host,  and  said: 
Take  care  of  him:  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  spend  over 
and  above,  I  at  my  return  will  repay  thee.  Which  of 
these  three  in  thy  opinion  was  neighbor  to  him  that  fell 
amonof  the  robbers?  But  he  said:  He  that  showed 
mercy  to  him.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Go  and  do  thou 
in  like  manner." 

Q.   What  did  the  apostles  see  in  Christ? 

A.  The  apostles  saw  in  Jesus  Christ  the  Eternal 
Word,  the  only  begotten  Son  of  the  living  God,  the 
Messias  promised  to  the  patriarchs,  foretold  by  the 
prophets,  and  expected  of  nations,  while  ignorant 
and  carnal  men  saw  in  Him  only  the  son  of  a  carpen- 
ter, an  obscure  and  poor  man  of  Nazareth,  a  son  of 
Adam  like  all  the  rest  of  men. 

Q.  What  did  the  apostles  hear  from  Jesus  Christ? 

A.  They  heard  truths  until  then  unknown,  and 
words  of  eternal  life  not  understood  and  not  believed 
by  the  greater  majority  of  those  who  followed  the 
Divine  Master,  wdthout  understanding  the  meaning  of 
His  parables  and  the  eloquence  of  His  miracles. 

Q.  Who  were  those  who  desired  to  see  and  hear 
what  the  apostles  sav:  and  heard,  but  could  not? 

A.  They  were  all  those  who  lived  and  died  before 
Christ,  who,  believing  and  hoping  in  the  future  Mes- 
sias, desired  to  see  Him  and  His  miracles  which  had 
been  foretold  and  hear  His  heavenly  doctrine.  But 
they  were  prevented  by  death  from  enjoying  the 
longed-for  consolation. 

Q.   Were  the  apostles  the  only  fortunate  ones? 


TWELFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  19I 

A.  No.  All  Christians,  and  especially  we  who  live 
among  so  many  that  have  fallen  into  schism  and 
heresy.  In  the  Man  of  Nazareth,  that  is,  in  Jesus 
Christ,  we  see  with  the  eyes  of  faith  the  Saviour.  In 
His  miracles  we  see  the  divinity  of  His  doctrine  con- 
firmed. In  His  manner  of  living  we  see  the  model 
we  are  to  imitate.  His  words  are  not  obscure  to  us  as 
they  were  to  many ;  we  understand  them  as  the  apos- 
tles did,  because  from  them  and  from  their  legitimate 
successors  we  have  been  taught  beyond  any  doubt 
their  true  and  sublime  sense. 

Q.  What  do  you  think  of  that  doctor  of  the  law 
who  tempted  Jesus  by  putting  a  question  to 
Him? 

A.  We  should  detest  his  duplicity,  and  admire  the 
prudent  answer  of  Jesus  Christ,  an  answer  that  may 
be  applied  to  many  Christians  who,  w^anting  to  live 
according  to  their  own  fancy,  invent  new  doctrines 
and  capricious  rules,  when  the  gospel  has  already  laid 
down  the  law  in  regard  to  our  gains,  our  amusements, 
our  food,  our  clothing — in  fact,  in  regard  to  all  the 
works  of  a  Christian. 

Q.  Of  whom  was  the  man  who  fell  among  robbers 
a  figure? 

A.  He  was  an  image  of  the  human  race,  which  by 
disobedience  fell  from  the  state  of  grace  into  a  state 
of  sin.  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  the  Lord,  built  upon  a 
mountain,  represents  the  state  of  grace,  and  Jericho,  a 
city  built  in  a  valley,  represents  the  state  of  sin.  The 
human  race  fell  under  the  power  of  the  infernal  rob- 
ber, who,  having  despoiled  it  of  original  innocence 
and  grace,  wotmded  it  m  the  intellect,  the  heart,  and 
the  will,  and  left  it  on  the  road  to  perdition,  prostrate 


192  TWELFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

in  its  misfortune  and  incapable  by  its  natural  strength 
to  rise  again. 

Q.  What  does  it  mean  that  the  man. was  wounded 
and  not  dead? 

A.  It  means  that  the  human  race  was  not  lost  be- 
yond redemption  like  the  bad  angels  who,  having 
once  sinned,  were  condemned  to  eternal  woe,  but  that 
although  its  wounds  were  mortal,  it  could  still  be 
cured.  This  cure,  however,  could  not  be  effected  by 
all  the  just,  nor  by  the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  who 
until  Christ's  time  had  lived  upon  the  earth,  and  of 
whom  the  priest  was  the  figure,  nor  by  the  pre- 
cepts, ceremonies,  and  legal  sacrifices,  of  which  the 
Levite  was  a  figure,  but  only  by  the  Samaritan, 
that  is,  the  Eternal  Word,  a  stranger  to  us,  because 
He  is  God  and  the  only  faithful  guardian  of  our  soul, 
because,  loving  us  from  all  eternity.  He  watched  over 
our  welfare. 

Q.   Whom  did  the  Samaritan  represent? 

A.  He  represented  Jesus  Christ,  and  mark  well  the 
circumstances.  The  Samaritan  was  passing  by  the 
place  where  the  wounded  man  lay,  he  sees  him,  he 
is  moved  to  compassion,  and  he  approaches  him  to 
treat  his  wounds  and  to  help  him  in  any  other  way. 
It  was  the  same  with  Christ ;  He  was  the  true  Sa- 
maritan, the  eternal  Guardian,  the  Saviour  of  men, 
a  stranger  to  us  before  His  incarnation,  like  unto  us 
with  the  exception  of  sin,  and  separated  from  sin- 
ners. He  became  a  pilgrim  and  dwelt  among  us  by 
becoming  man,  He  looked  with  compassion  on  the 
human,  race,  prostrate  on  the  earth  and  covered  with 
wounds,  and  He  undertook  the  great  task  of  healing 
and  restoring  it  to  life. 


TWELFTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  193 

Q.   What  did  He  do  to  heal  the  human  race? 

A.  This  divine  Samaritan,  in  order  to  heal  our 
wounds,  approached  us  by  assuming  our  nature.  He 
treated  our  spiritual  wounds  with  the  oil  of  grace  and 
with  the  wine  of  heavenly  charity.  He  bound  up 
these  wounds  with  the  bandages  of  His  holy  law,  and 
He  brought  us  to  the  inn  of  salvation,  suffering  in 
His  humanity  the  punishment  due  to  the  sinner,  and 
bringing  us  back,  by  His  passion  and  death,  to  the 
bosom  of  the  Holy  Church,  where  we  are  under  the 
protection  of  His  ministers,  whose  office  it  is  to  heal 
our  infirmities  and  prepare  us  for  life  eternal. 

Q.  What  do  the  two  pence  signify  which  the  Sa- 
maritan gave  to  the  host  to  take  care  of  the  wounded 
man? 

A.  We  have  received  a  remedy  for  the  wounds  in- 
flicted by  the  devil  in  the  passion  and  in  the  grace  of 
Jesus  Christ.  These  wounds  might  grow  worse  and 
be  once  more  the  cause  of  our  death  But  our  divine 
Guardian,  after  having  given  us  in  charge  of  His 
ministers,  the  priests,  has  given  to  them  two  most  effi- 
cient means  to  provide  for  our  wants.  These  means 
are  instruction  and  the  sacraments.  By  the  first  we 
are  enabled  to  know  what  we  should  believe  and  what 
we  should  do.  By  the  second  we  are  enabled  to  regain 
grace  if  we  have  lost  it,  or  to  increase  it  if  we  already 
possess  it. 

Q.  What  is  the  meaning  of  these  words:  "What- 
soever thou  shalt  spend  over  and  above,  I  at  my 
return  will  repay  thee"? 

A.  Jesus  Christ,  having  completed  the  work  of  re- 
demption, left  this  world,  ascended  into  heaven, 
and  will  return  at  the  end  of  the  world.  In  the 
13 


194  THIRTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

meantime,  we  are  confided  to  the  care  of  the  priests, 
His  ministers,  and  they  in  His  name  must  provide 
for  our  eternal  welfare.  But  if  they,  in  the  discharge 
of  their  duties,  do  more  than  what  they  are  strictly 
bound  to  do,  they  will  receive  an  especial  reward 
from  Christ  on  the  day  of  judgment,  when  He  will 
reurn  to  this  world  to  punish  the  wicked  and  to  reward 
the  good  for  all  they  have  done,  the  former  against 
Him,  and  the  latter  for  His  glory. 

Q.   Is  this  promise  of  Christ  only  for  His  priests? 

A.  This  promise  was  made  to  them  in  a  special 
manner,  but  it  was  also  addressed  to  all  who  do  more  for 
their  neighbors'  welfare  than  they  are  in  duty  bound 
to  do.  A  parent,  a  teacher,  an  employer,  a  superior, 
a  vSovereign,  who  is  not  content  with  simply  doing 
his  duty  toward  those  confided  to  his  care,  but  who 
with  an  extraordinary  zeal  endeavors  to  promote  their 
spiritual  welfare  and  their  progress  in  Christian  virtue 
and  perfection,  will  undoubtedly  receive  a  special  re- 
ward from  Jesus  Christ,  and  will  one  day  enjoy  a 
greater  glory  in  heaven. 


THIRTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  xvii.  11-19. 

AT  that  time,  "As  Jesus  was  going  to  Jerusalem,  He 
passed  through  the  midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee. 
And  as  He  entered  into  a  certain  town  there  met  Him 
ten  men  that  were  lepers,  who  stood  afar  off  and  lifted 
up  their  voice,  saying:  Jesus,  Master,  have  mercy  on  us. 
Whom  when  He  saw,  He  said.  Go,  show  yourselves  to  the 


THIRTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  I95 

priests.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  went,  they  were 
made  clean.  And  one  of  them,  when  he  saw  that  he  was 
made  clean,  went  back,  with  a  loud  voice  glorifying  God, 
and  he  fell  on  his  face,  before  His  feet,  giving  thanks: 
and  this  was  a  Samaritan.  And  Jesus  answering,  said: 
Were  not  ten  made  clean?  and  where  are  the  nine.> 
There  is  no  one  found  to  return  and  give  glory  to  God, 
but  this  stranger.  And  He  said  to  him:  Arise,  go  thy 
way,  for  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole." 

Q.   Of  whom  were  these  lepers  a  figure? 

A.  St.  Augustine  says  they  were  an  image  of 
heretics  and  also  of  sinners,  and  especially  of  those 
afflicted  with  the  vice  of  impurity. 

Q.  Why  were  they  in  a  special  manner  a  figure 
of  the  impure  sinner? 

A.  As  a  leper  is  a  disgusting  object  to  men,  so  is 
a  lewd  sinner  an  abominable  object  to  the  eyes  of 
God.  As  lepers  were  to  be  avoided  because  of  the 
danger  of  contracting  their  contagious  disease,  so 
also  must  lewd  persons  be  avoided,  because  they 
easily  communicate  to  others  their  spiritual  disease. 

Q.  Why  did  He  send  them  to  the  priests? 

A.  It  was  prescribed  in  Leviticus  (xiii.)  that  lepers 
when  cured  of  their  disease  should  present  themselves 
to  the  priest  to  be  declared  cured,  after  which  they 
were  restored  to  the  society  of  their  fellow-men  and 
introduced  into  the  temple.  On  this  account  Jesus 
sent  those  men  to  the  priests  that  they  might  be  wit- 
nesses of  their  cure,  and  do  what  \vas  commanded  by 
the  law  in  such  cases. 

Q.   How  in  this  were  they  like  the  lew^d  sinner? 
A.   According  to  the  Old  Law  it  was  necessary  for 
lepers  to  have  recourse  to  the  priest  to  be  cleansed 


T96  THIRTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

from  the  legal  impurity  and  restored  to  society.  In 
like  manner  those  who  are  infected  by  the  vice  of 
impurity  have  need  of  the  ministry  of  the  confessor 
to  be  prepared  to  participate  in  the  sacraments,  to  be 
helped  to  overcome  their  bad  habits,  and  to  persevere 
in  their  good  resolutions.  For  such,  frequent  con- 
fession is  undoubtedly  the  most  efficacious  means  of 
reform. 

Q.  What  does  it  mean  that  as  they  went  they  were 
made  clean? 

A.  Their  cure  did  not  depend  on  the  work  of  the 
priests,  but  on  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  they 
believed  in  Him  and  hastened  to  see  the  priests 
as  He  had  commanded  them,  as  they  went  the  wish 
of  their  hearts  was  granted,  and  they  were  cured  as 
a  reward  of  their  faith  and  obedience. 

Q.  What  meaning  has  all  this  for  us? 

A.  It  means  that  our  deliverance  from  the  leprosy 
of  sin  does  not  depend  on  the  words  of  the  priest,  who 
judges  by  the  exterior,  but  is  effected  by  the  power 
of  Christ,  Who  sees  our  interior.  Hence  the  absolu- 
tion of  the  priest  is  of  no  advantage  to  us  if  he  was 
too  easy  in  giving  it  or  if  w^e  obtained  it  by  fraud. 
The  absolution  is  of  no  avail  if  God,  Who  searches  the 
heart,  does  not  confirm  it.  It  also  means  that  the 
operation  of  grace  in  our  souls  and  the  abundance  of 
the  divine  mercy  will  be  in  proportion  to  our  faith 
and  to  our  prompt  obedience  to  the  voice  of  God. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  Samaritan  who 
returned  to  thank  Jesus? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  to  be  really  grateful  to  the  di- 
vine mercy  by  which,  through  the  merits  of  Jesus 
Christ,  we   have    been   cleansed  not  only  once,  but 


FOURTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  I97 

very  often  from  the  leprosy  of  sin.  Let  us  not  con- 
tent ourselves  w  th  mere  words,  but  as  this  Samari- 
tan glorified  God  with  loud  voice  and,  prostrate  at 
the  feet  of  the  divine  Master,  adored  Him,  so  should 
we  by  our  actions  and  good  example  proclaim  the 
power  of  His  grace,  and  make  known  to  all  our  faith 
and  our  submission  to  the  majesty  of  the  Lord. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  nine  ungrateful 
ones? 

A.  Inasmuch  as  we  are  indignant  at  their  ingrati- 
tude, we  should  learn  how  disgraceful  and  infamous 
our  conduct  would  be  if  we  were  insensible  or  un- 
grateful for  benefits  which  we  have  received  either 
from  God  or  from  man. 


FOURTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  vi.  24-33. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "No  man 
can  serve  two  masters.  For  either  he  will  hate  the 
one  and  love  the  other,  or  he  will  sustain  the  one  and 
despise  the  other.  You  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon. 
Therefore  I  say  to  you  be  not  solicitous  for  your  life,  what 
you  shall  eat,  nor  for  your  body,  what  you  shall  put  on. 
Is  not  the  life  more  than  the  meat,  and  the  body  more 
than  the  raiment.?  Behold  the  birds  of  the  air,  for  they 
neither  sow,  nor  do  they  reap,  nor  gather  into  barns: 
and  your  Heavenly  Father  feedeth  them.  Are  not  you 
of  much  more  value  than  they?  And  which  of  you  by 
taking  thought  can  add  to  his  stature  one  cubit?  And  for 
raiment  why  are  you  solicitous?  Consider  the  lilies  of 
the  field,  how  they  grow:  they  labor  not,  neither  do  they 


198       FOURTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

spin.  But  I  say  to  you  that  not  even  Solomon  in  all  his 
glory  was  arrayed  as  one  of  these.  And  if  the  grass  of 
the  field,  which  is  to-day,  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the 
oven,  God  doth  so  clothe,  how  much  more  you,  O  ye  of 
little  faith?  Be  not  solicitous  therefore,  saying:  What 
shall  we  eat,  or  what  shall  we  drink,  or  wherewith  shall 
we  be  clothed?  For  after  all  these  things  do  the  heathens 
seek.  For  your  Father  knoweth  that  you  have  need  of 
all  these  things.  Seek  ye  therefore  first  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  His  justice,  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added 
unto  you." 

Q.   What  was  the  object  of  these  words  of  Christ? 

A.  The  object  w^as  to  reprove  the  extreme  anxiety 
and  attachment  for  the  riches  of  this  world,  and  be- 
sides to  exhort  us  to  place  our  trust  in  divine  Provi- 
dence. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  say  to  detach  us  from  the  love 
of  riches? 

A.  He  said  that  if  the  love  for  them  is  bad,  it  will 
surely  rule  our  heart,  and  when  this  is  the  case,  it 
will  be  impossible  for  us  to  please  God,  as  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  please  two  masters  at  one  and  the  same 
time  who  are  so  opposed  to  each  other  in  all  things 
as  are  the  love  of  riches  and  the  love  of  God. 

Q.  Why  are  the  love  of  God  and  the  love  of  riches 
entirely  opposed  to  each  other? 

A.  It  would  be  too  much  to  say  all  that  proves  this, 
hence  let  it  suffice  to  vSay  that  the  love  of  God  is  al- 
ways and  only  occupied  w^ith  the  things  of  heaven, 
that  it  despises  the  things  of  the  world,  and  volun- 
tarily distributes  them  to  the  poor;  that  the  love 
of  riches,  on  the  contrary,  is  only  eager  to  obtain  the 
things  of  the  world,  is  never  satisfied  with  its  prof- 


FOURTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  1 99 

its,  and  instead  of  helping  the  poor  and  needy  it 
rather  endeavors  to  rob  them  and  to  grow  richer  by 
their  blood. 

Q.  What  does  He  say  to  encourage  us  to  trust  in 
divine  Providence? 

A.  In  order  to  encourage  us  to  place  our  confidence 
in  God,  Jesus  Christ  commands  us  not  to  be  solicitous 
about  what  we  are  to  eat,  or  wherewith  we  are  to 
clothe  ourselves,  because  that  God  Who  in  His  good- 
ness has  made  us  out  of  nothing  cannot  and  will  not 
refuse  us  what  is  necessary  for  our  sustenance,  if 
with  childlike  confidence  we  have  recourse  to  His 
fatherly  love. 

Q.   How  is  all  this  proved? 

A.  It  is  proved  by  what  happens  every  day.  We 
see  the  birds  of  the  air  are  fed,  and  the  flowers  of  the 
field  are  clad  in  beautiful  clothing.  Now  if  God  in 
His  providence  preserves  that  order  of  things  by 
which  the  birds  receive  their  food  and  the  flowers 
their  beautiful  vesture,  how  much  more  will  He  pro- 
vide the  necessaries  of  life  for  us,  He  being  our 
Father.  Hence  the  Holy  Ghost  said  by  the  mouth  of 
David:  '^ /acta  super  Doniininn  ciirani  ttiam,  ct  ipse  tee  mi- 
trietr 

Q.  If  this  be  the  case,  is  it  not  useless  to  work  all 
day?     Is  it  not  enough  to  have  confidence  in  God? 

A.  Bear  in  mind  that  Christ  forbids  us  to  be  over- 
anxious or  uneasy,  but  He  does  not  dispense  us  from 
using  our  strength.  He  who  would  lead  an  idle  and 
careless  life  would  be  unworthy  of  God's  bounty  and 
would  insult  divine  Providence.  We  must  earn  our 
bread  in  the  sweat  of  our  brow,  but  our  efforts  will  be 
fruitless  if  they  have  not  the  blessing  of  God.     If  we 


200  FOURTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST 

cannot  do  anything  for  ourselves,  the  powerful  hand 
of  God  will  help  us,  when  like  good  children  we  have 
recourse  to  His  paternal  love. 

Q.  Can  you  give  some  examples  of  this  divine 
Providence? 

A.  We  find  many  examples  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  leaving  aside  Agar,  who  was  provided  with  water 
for  her  dying  son  Ismael,  Susanna,  who  was  provided 
with  a  protector  who  defended  her  innocence  and  de- 
livered her  from  death,  Daniel,  who  was  provided 
with  food  in  the  lions'  den  and  was  saved  from 
death,  it  will  suffice  to  remember  the  Hebrew  people 
when  they  were  in  the  desert.  They  had  no  bread, 
and  God  sent  them  quails,  and  daily  gave  them 
manna  for  forty  years.  They  frequently  had  no 
water  to  drink,  and  God  miraculously  turned  the  bit- 
ter waters  to  sweet,  and  gave  them  water  out  of  a 
rock.  They  could  procure  no  garments,  and  God 
preserved  for  forty  years  the  clothes  they  brought 
with  them  from  Egypt.  Now  this  divine  Providence 
that  cared  for  the  Hebrews  in  the  desert  will  also 
take  care  of  us.  We  often  enjoy  the  benefits  of  this 
divine  Providence  without  knowing  it,  but  the  Holy 
Ghost  assures  us  that  the  just  man  has  never  been 
forsaken,  and  God  as  a  loving  Father  always  watches 
over  us. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  do  to  deserve  such  a  Providence  ? 

A.  Jesus  Christ  Himself  has  taught  us,  and  espe- 
cially in  this  day's  Gospel  He  tells  what  we  must  do, 
when  He  says :  "  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
His  justice." 

Q.  What  did  He  mean  by  this? 

A.   He  wished  to  teach  us  that  our  only  desire  and 


FIFTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  20I 

our  constant  prayer  should  be  that  God  may  be  glori- 
fied, and  that  we  may  obtain  the  necessary  means  to 
g^in  heaven,  that  is,  an  abundance  of  grace,  holiness 
of  life,  the  possession  of  virtue,  and  perseverance  in 
good.  When,  therefore,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  our 
only  object,  when  we  are  faithful,  just,  and  persever- 
ing in  the  divine  service,  then  divine  Providence 
will  provide  us  with  the  necessary  temporal  things, 
without  our  being  anxious  about  them,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  earth  broufjht  forth  its  fruit  without 
being  cultivated  when  Adam  was  in  the  state  of  origi- 
nal innocence. 


FIFTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  vii.  11-16. 

AT  that  time:  "Jesus  went  into  a  city  that  is  called 
Naim,  and  there  went  with  Him  His  disciples  and 
a  great  multitude.  And  when  He  came  nigh  to  the  gate 
of  the  city,  behold  a  dead  man  was  carried  out,  the  only 
son  of  his  mother:  and  she  was  a  widow:  and  a  great 
multitude  of  the  city  was  with  her.  Whom  when  the 
Lord  had  seen,  being  moved  with  mercy  toward  her,  He 
said  to  her:  Weep  not.  And  He  came  near  and  touched 
the  bier.  (And  they  that  carried  it  stood  still.)  And 
He  said:  Young  man,  I  say  to  thee,  arise.  And  he  that 
was  dead  sat  up  and  began  to  speak.  And  He  gave  him 
to  his  mother.  And  there  came  a  fear  on  them  all,  and 
they  glorified  God,  saying:  A  great  prophet  is  risen  up 
among  us,  and  God  hath  visited  His  people." 

Q.   Was  this  meeting  of  Jesus  with  the  funeral   a 
mere  accident? 

A.   According  to  the  history  of  this  fact  it  would 


202  FIFTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

seem  to  have  been  simply  an  accident,  but  the  sacred 
interpreters  say  that  Jesus  went  purposely  to  Nairr 
and  arranged  all  in  such  a  manner  that  He  was  at  tlie 
gate  of  the  city  at  the  proper  time,  in  order  to  w^ork 
the  astonishing  miracle,  which  inspired  with  /aith 
those  who  beheld  it,  and  which  teaches  us  a  lesson  of 
the  greatest  importance. 

Q.   Of  whom  was  that  dead  man  a  figure? 

A.  He  was  the  image  of  a  sinner  dead  in  the 
eyes  of  God,  more  disfigured  by  his  sins  than  a 
corpse,  deprived  of  every  spiritual  good  and  of  the 
strength  to  do  works  for  life  eternal. 

Q.  Of  whom  was  the  sorrowful  mother  who  followed 
the  bier  a  figure  ? 

A.  She  was  a  figure  of  the  Church,  which  never  loses 
sight  of  those  of  her  children  whom  sin  has  deprived 
of  life.  She  continually  laments  their  condition,  de- 
sires their  conversion,  and  prays  for  it  fervently  and 
constantly  from  the  mercy  of  God  through  the  merits 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  recognize  in  the  bier  and  in 
the  four  men  who  carried  it  ? 

A.  In  the  bier  we  are  to  recognize  our  fallen  na- 
ture in  which  we  are  obliged  to  lie,  and  in  the  four 
pall-bearers  the  ruling  vices  that  carry  us  to  destruc- 
tion. One  who  is  in  the  state  of  sin,  not  out 
of  human  frailty,  but  rather  out  of  pure  malice, 
lies,  like  a  corpse  on  the  bier,  on  the  bed  of  sin,  and 
the  ruling  passions  carry  him  rapidly  to  the  grave  of 
eternal  death. 

Q.  What  do  we  behold  in  Jesus  Christ  moved  to 
compassion  for  this  mother? 


FIFTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  203 

A.  We  see  the  same  Jesus  Christ  now  reigning  in 
heaven,  Who  by  the  constant  and  fervent  prayers  of 
our  common  mother  the  Church  is  moved  to  compas- 
sion for  poor  sinners  and  gives  them  the  grace  to 
rise  again  from  their  sins,  as  is  daily  the  case  in  the 
conversion  of  so  many  Christians. 

Q.  What  is  meant  by  Christ  touching  the  bier,  and 
by  the  bearers  standing  still  ? 

A.  This  signifies  that  God,  in  the  conversion  of 
sinners,  who  are  carried  to  perdition  by  their  ruling 
passions  and  bad  habits,  touches  with  His  grace  our 
weak  human  nature  in  such  a  manner  that  the  soul 
is  no  longer  carried  away  by  the  torrent  of  corruption, 
and  that,  moreover,  He  causes  the  vices  and  ruling  pas- 
sions which  carried  it  to  the  grave  of  eternal  death  to 
stand  still,  and  not  as  before  to  reduce  it  to  further 
errors  by  their  furious  attacks. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  command  with  such  power  the 
dead  young  man  to  arise? 

A.  By  this  our  Divine  Master  wished  to  teach  us 
that  for  the  conversion  of  a  sinner,  who  is  a  slave  of 
his  passions  and  bad  habits,  a  powerful  and  special 
grace  is  necessary,  which  almost  like  a  miracle  stops 
the  course  of  the  predominant  passions,  and  hinders 
them  from  going  further.  Oh,  how^  should  habitual 
sinners  tremble,  when  they  reflect  that  God  gives  this 
grace  out  of  pure  mercy,  notwithstanding  our  un- 
worthiness,  and  that  He  does  not  give  it  to  all,  but 
only  to  whom  He  pleases,  and  when  and  how  He 
pleases,  for  no  one  can  merit  this  grace. 

Q.  The  young  man  sat  up;  what  ar^  we  to  learn 
from  this? 


204  FIFTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

A.  When  God  by  His  grace  commands  a  sinner  to 
rise  from  his  spiritual  death  he  is  aroused  from  his 
deadly  lethargy,  he  opens  his  eyes  to  the  light  of 
faith,  he  speaks  confessing  his  sins,  and  those  very 
passions  that  formerly  controlled  him.  he  now  con- 
trols and  subjects  to  the  power  of  his  will.  Recall  to 
mind  St.  Paul,  St.  Augustine,  and  St.  Margaret,  and 
you  will  see  how  at  the  command  of  grace  they  shook 
off  the  sleep  of  death,  and  how  from  that  very  mo- 
ment they  made  use  of  those  talents,  of  that  ardent 
character,  and  that  tendency  of  their  hearts,  which 
had  once  been  the  sad  cause  of  their  transgressions, 
as  a  triumph  of  virtue. 

Q.  Jesus  gave  the  young  man  into  the  care  of  his 
mother;  what  does  this  teach  us? 

A.  When  God  by  His  grace  converts  a  sinner,  He 
restores  him  to  the  Church,  his  mother,  who  gains  in 
him  a  son  who  was  dead  to  her,  and  she  rejoices  at 
his  return  to  spiritual  life.  Besides,  God  confides  this 
son,  risen  to  a  new  life,  to  her  maternal  care  that  she 
may  help  him  to  gain  strength,  that  she  may  en- 
lighten, direct,  console,  encourage,  and  guide  him  on 
the  way  of  penance,  perseverance,  and  perfection. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  the  multitude  that  was 
so  astonished? 

A.  This  should  not  surprise  us;  it  is  rather  sur- 
prising that  so  many  Christians  do  not  take  notice  of 
a  greater  miracle  that  God  continually  works  in  a 
spiritual  manner  in  the  Church.  Every  day  His 
powerful  grace  recalls  from  death  to  life  many  souls, 
and  perhaps  even  our  own:  yet  scarcely  any  one 
thinks  of  giving  Him  that  glory  and  thanksgiving 
which  are  His  due. 


SIXTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  205 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  Let  us  learn  to  weep  with  the  Church  over  the 
unhappy  death  of  so  many  of  our  brethren  who  are 
the  slaves  of  sin,  and  to  pray  with  her  that  the  Divine 
Mercy  may  recall  them  to  life.  Let  us  learn  to  beg 
Jesus  to  come  to  meet  us  in  His  great  charity,  as  He 
did  the  dead  young  man  of  Naim,  when  we  have  had 
the  misfortune  to  fall  into  mortal  sin.  Lastly,  let  us 
learn  to  thank  God  for  all  He  has  done  for  us,  either 
by  resuscitating  us  when  we  were  in  the  state  of  sin,  or 
by  preserving  us  from  what  might  again  cause  our 
spiritual  death. 


SIXTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  St.  Luke  xiv.  i-ii. 

AT  that  time:  "When  Jesus  went  into  the  house  of  one 
of  the  chief  of  the  Pharisees,  on  the  Sabbath-day,  to 
eat  bread,  they  watched  Him,  And  behold  there  was  a 
certain  man  before  Him  that  had  the  dropsy.  And  Jesus 
answering,  spoke  to  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees,  saying :  Is 
it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath-day?  But  they  held 
their  peace.  But  He,  taking  him,  healed  him,  and  sent 
him  awa}^  And  answering  them,  He  said:  Which  of 
you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox  fall  into  a  pit  and  will  not 
immediately  draw  him  out  on  the  Sabbath-day?  And 
they  could  not  answer  Him  to  these  things.  And  He  spoke 
a  parable  also  to  them  that  were  invited,  marking  how 
they  chose  the  first  seats  at  the  table,  saying  to  them : 
When  thou  art  invited  to  a  wedding,  sit  not  down  in  the 
first  place,  lest  perhaps  one  more  honorable  than  thou  be 
invited  by  him:  and  he  that  invited  thee  and  him  come 
and  say  to  thee :  Give  this  man  place ;  and  then  thou  be- 


2o6  SIXTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

gin  with  shame  to  take  the  lowest  place.  But  when  thou 
art  invited,  go,  sit  down  in  the  lowest  place :  that  when  he 
who  invited  thee  cometh  he  may  say  to  thee:  Friend,  go 
up  higher.  Then  shalt  thou  have  glory  before  them  that 
sit  at  table  with  thee.  Because  every  one  that  exalteth 
himself  shall  be  humbled:  and  he  that  humbleth  himself 
shall  be  exalted." 

Q.  How  could  Jesus  accept  the  invitation  to  the 
table  of  a  Pharisee? 

A.  It  is  true  the  Pharisees  were  bad  men,  but 
Jesus  Christ  did  not  refuse  to  enter  the  house  of  this 
man,  w- ho  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  among 
them,  because  He  wished  to  take  this  opportunity  to 
benefit  them  by  His  doctrines  and  miracles;  thus 
teaching  us  not  to  repel  or  avoid  sinners  as  long  as 
there  is  any  hope  of  doing  them  good. 

Q.  What  miracle  did  Christ  work,  and  what  doc- 
trines did  He  teach  on  this  occasion? 

A.  The  Gospel  relates  that  on  this  occasion  He 
healed  a  man  who  had  the  dropsy,  and  He  taught  those 
present  as  well  as  us  also  that  it  is  not  forbidden  to 
heal  the  sick  on  the  Sabbath-day.  Besides,  He 
showed  that  we  must  avoid  pride  and  cultivate  hu- 
mility. 

Q.  Of  whom  was  the  man  that  had  the  dropsy  a 
figure  ? 

A.  St.  Augustine  says  that  he  was  a  figure  of  the 
rich  miser  who  the  more  he  has  the  more  he  wants, 
after  the  manner  of  dropsical  patients,  who  the  fuller 
they  are  of  water  the  more  they  w^ant  to  drink. 

Q.   Is  this  man  a  figure  of  anything  else? 

A.  According  to  St.  Augustine,  the  dropsy  of  this 


SIXTEENTH    SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOST.  207 

man  signified  any  other  predominating  passion  of  a 
sinner.  Any  passion,  when  it  takes  possession  of  the 
heart,  becomes  insatiable,  and  the  more  it  is  gratified 
the  worse  it  becomes,  like  the  thirst  of  one  afflicted 
with  dropsy.  If  we  notice  a  drunkard,  a  proud  man, 
a  libertine,  an  ambitious  woman,  a  miser,  we  see 
that  the  habitual  debauch,  the  beastly  excesses,  the 
most  extravagant  fashions,  and  the  greatest  gain  do 
not  satisfy  their  desires,  and,  much  as  they  may 
gratify  their  whims,  they  never  have  enough. 

Q.  How  did  Jesus  prove  that  it  was  not  forbidden 
to  heal  the  sick  on  the  Sabbath-day? 

A.  He  proved  it  from  the  example  of  the  Pharisees 
themselves,  by  saying  that  if  they  did  not  scruple  to 
draw  from  the  pit  an  ass  or  an  ox  that  had  fallen  into 
it,  because  their  interest  required  them  to  do  so,  much 
less  should  there  be  any  difficulty  in  curing  a  sick 
person  for  charity's  sake  and  for  the  glory  of  God. 
Those  Pharisees  were  impious  men,  says  the  venerable 
Bede.  Through  avarice  they  would  violate  the  law  of 
the  Sabbath,  and  at  the  same  time  they  accused  Christ 
of  violating  the  Sabbath  because  He  cured  a  man 
through  charity. 

Q.  Were  the  Pharisees  convinced  by  this  reasoning? 

A.  As  the  Gospel  says,  they  felt  that  they  were  si- 
lenced, and  held  their  peace.  Yet,  instead  of  being 
enlightened,  they  became  more  obstinate  in  finding 
fault  with  Christ,  and,  as  St.  John  relates,  they  perse- 
cuted Him,  telling  the  people  that  He  was  not  a  friend 
of  God,  because  He  did  not  observe  the  Sabbath. 

Q.  What  else  worthy  of  remark  took  place  on  this 
occasion  ? 

A.  That    happened  which    often    happens    in  our 


208  SIXTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

day.  The  Pharisees  who  had  been  invited  were  full 
of  self-conceit.  Each  one  of  them  had  a  high  opinion 
of  himself ;  each  fancied  that  he  was  greater  than  the 
others,  and  each  sought  to  be  preferred  and  to  have 
the  first  seat  at  the  table. 

Q.  And  what  did  Jesus  Christ  do  then? 

A.  Jesus  Christ,  knowing  the  ambitious  desires  of 
their  hearts,  gave  them  the  important  advice  to  select 
the  lowest  place,  so  as  not  to  expose  themselves  to 
the  shame  of  being  obliged  to  give  up  the  highest 
place  by  the  command  of  the  host,  who  had  destined 
it  for  one  who  was  superior  in  merit. 

Q.  What  did  Christ  mean  by  this  counsel? 

A.  He  wished  to  correct  those  proud  men,  by 
making  them  understand  how  improper  their  ambi- 
tious behavior  was  in  selecting  the  best  places ;  at 
the  same  time  He  taught  all  future  Christians  to 
close  their  eyes  to  their  own  merits,  not  to  exact  at- 
tentions, and  to  believe  themselves  inferior  to  others, 
by  always  with  sincerity  of  heart  choosing  the  last 
place  for  themselves. 

Q.  With  what  promise  did  Christ  confirm  this 
lesson? 

A.  He  confirmed  it  by  saying  that  he  who  exalts 
himself  shall  be  humbled,  and  he  who  humbles  him- 
self shall  be  exalted. 

Q.  Before  whom  will  the  proud  be  humbled  and 
the  humble  exalted? 

A.  Before  God  and  men.  Even  the  world  de- 
spises the  proud,  and  when  it  can  humble  them  it 
does  it  with  pleasure.  On  the  other  hand,  it  loves, 
esteems,  and  praises  the  truly  humble,  and  is  pleased 


SEVENTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  209 

when  their  merit  is  appreciated.  God,  says  St.  Hil- 
ary, will  humble  the  pride  of  the  ambitious  and 
glorify  the  humble,  if  not  in  this  life,  certainly  and 
forever  in  the  next. 

O.   In  what  does  true  humility  consist? 

A.  It  consists  in  considering  ourselves  as  nothing 
before  God  and  men,  for  indeed  we  are  nothing,  and 
all  we  have,  in  the  order  of  nature  or  in  the  order  of 
grace,  comes  from  God,  as  also  all  we  do,  great  or 
small,  depends  on  His  help  and  goodness. 

Q.   What  are  the  degrees  of  Christian  humility? 

A.  They  are  as  follows:  To  know  ourselves,  our 
insufficiency,  our  natural  misery,  and  hence  to  have 
a  low  opinion  of  ourselves.  Secondly,  to  bear  pa- 
tiently and  with  fortitude  humiliations,  wherever 
they  may  come  from.  Finally,  to  rejoice  in  these 
humiliations  and  to  say  with  David :  It  is  good,  O 
Lord,  that  Thou  hast  humbled  me. 


SEVENTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xxii.  55-46. 

AT  that  time,  the  Pharisees  came  nigh  to  Jesus:  "And 
one  of  them,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  asked  Him, 
tempting  Him:  Master,  which  is  the  great  command- 
ment in  the  law?  Jesus  said  to  him:  Thou  shalt  love  the 
Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart,  and  with  thy  whole 
soul,  and  with  thy  whole  mind.  This  is  the  greatest  and 
the  first  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like  to  this: 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these  two 
commandments  dependeth  the  whole  law  and  the  proph- 
ets. And  the  Pharisees  being  gathered  together,  Jesus 
14 


210      SEVENTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

asked  them,  saying:  What  think  you  of  Christ?  Whose 
son  is  He?  They  say  to  Him:  David's.  He  saith  to 
them:  How  then  doth  David  in  spirit  call  Him  Lord, 
saying:  The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord:  Sit  on-My  right  hand 
tmtil  I  make  Thy  enemies  Thy  footstool?  If  David  then 
call  Him  Lord,  how  is  He  his  son?  And  no  man  was 
able  to  answer  Him  a  word;  neither  dnrst  any  man  from 
that  day  forth  ask  Him  any  more  questions. " 

Q.  In  what  sense  was  the  question  of  the  Pharisee 
a  temptation? 

A.  To  understand  the  force  and  the  malice  of  this 
question  of  the  Pharisee,  which  the  Gospel  calls  a 
temptation,  it  is  necessary  to  know  that  in  Christ's 
time  there  was  a  question  which  was  the  greater 
obligation :  to  love  God  or  to  offer  in  the  temple  the 
sacrifices  commanded  by  the  law.  Many  were  of  the 
opinion  that  the  first  and  greatest  commandment  was 
that  of  offering  sacrifice  in  the  teraple.  On  this  ac- 
count the  doctor  of  the  law  asked  Jesus  Christ  which 
was  the  greatest  commandment  of  the  law,  with  the 
intention  to  induce  Him  to  decide  the  question,  with 
the  danger  to  Himself  of  displeasing  one  or  the  other 
party,  if  He  did  not  support  His  assertion  by  undeni- 
able proof. 

Q.  What  was  Christ's  answer? 

A.  He  answered  that  the  first  and  greatest  com- 
mandment was  to  love  God  above  all  things,  with 
our  whole  heart,  with  our  whole  soul,  and  with  all 
our  strength. 

Q.  What  do  you  think  of  this  precept? 

A.  There  is  nothing  more  reasonable  and  just. 
God  is  perfection  itself,  the  fountain  and  the  source 
of  all  good;    therefore  He  must  be  loved  for  what 


SEVENTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  211 

He  is  in  preference  to  all  other  things,  and  He  must 
b3  loved  with  our  whole  heart  and  with  our  whole 
soul,  cost  us  what  it  may.  God  has  created  us  for  the 
sole  purpose  that  we  may  love  Him,  and  hereafter 
enjoy  Him  for  all  eternity  as  a  reward  of  this  love; 
therefore  we  are  bound  by  the  law  of  nature  to  love 
Him.  God  is  the  absolute  Lord  of  our  life  and  of  all 
we  have  on  this  earth ;  therefore  we  are  bound  in 
justice  to  love  Him.  God  has  bestowed  on  us  innu- 
merable natural  and  supernatural  benefits,  and  con- 
tinues to  do  so;  therefore  we  are  bound  to  love 
Him  out  of  gratitude,  and  if  man  would  not  love  Him 
He  would  be  worse  than  the  brute  animals,  that  show 
themselves  grateful  to  those  who  feed  them. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  say  that  the  precept  to  love 
God  is  the  first  and  greatest  commandment? 

A.  Because  charity  is  the  greatest  of  the  virtues, 
the  root,  the  support,  and  the  crown  of  all  the  others. 
Without  charity,  all  the  acts  of  devotion  are  noth- 
ing; without  charity,  patience,  generosity,  meekness, 
chastity,  and  all  other  good  qualities  avail  nothing ; 
without  charity,  we  are  objects  of  hatred  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Hence  vSt.  Paul  says:  "If  I  should  speak 
with  the  tongues  of  angels,  if  I  possessed  all  knowl- 
edge, if  I  should  distribute  all  my  goods  to  the  poor, 
if  I  worked  miracles,  if  I  should  deliver  my  body  to  be 
burned,  and  have  not  charity,  I  am  nothing  more  than 
a  sounding  brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal  "   (i.  Cor.  xiii.). 

Q.   Which  is  the  second  great  commandment? 

A.  Christ  has  told  us  what  it  is.  It  is  to  love  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves;  that  is,  we  must  love  him 
sincerely,  ardently,  and  effectively,  but  always  for  the 
love  of  God. 


212  SEVENTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Q.   How  are  we  to  practise  this  love? 

A.  The  same  divine  Teacher  taught  us  the  way  to 
practise  it,  when  He  said :  "  Do  unto  others  as  you 
wish  them  to  do  unto  you."  Hence  St.  Augustine, 
explaining  this  maxim,  says:  "Whatever  good  we 
wish  for  ourselves,  the  same  we  must  procure  for 
our  neighbor,  and  the  evil  that  we  fear  we  must 
prevent  from  befalling  our  neighbor." 

Q.  Does  he  who  treats  his  neighbor  kindly  and 
generously,  but  without  reference  to  God,  fulfil  the 
commandment  ? 

A.  God  has  commanded  us  to  love  our  neighbor  as 
ourselves,  but  always  for  love  of  Him,  in  regard  to 
Him,  with  eyes  fixed  on  Him  alone.  Therefore  he 
who  loves  and  gives  abundantly  to  his  neighbor 
through  human  sensibility,  through  natural  goodness 
of  heart,  or  through  philanthropy,  would  not  satisfy 
the  precept.  He  would  deserve  the  praise  and  the 
gratitude  of  men,  but  he  would  merit  no  supernatural 
reward. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  say  that  "on  these  two  com- 
mandments dependeth  the  whole  law  and  the 
prophets  "  ? 

A.  He  said  this  because  all  the  other  precepts  of 
the  law  and  the  teachings  of  the  prophets,  that  is,  of 
those  who  speak  to  us  in  God's  name,  are  founded  on 
the  commandment  of  the  love  of  God  and  of  our  neigh- 
bor, and  all  flow  therefrom  in  such  a  manner  that  he 
whose  heart  is  animated  by  charity  observes  the 
whole  law;  but  when  this  virtue,  which  constitutes 
the  essence  of  a  Christian,  is  wanting,  the  whole  law 
is  transgressed. 

Q.   After    Christ   had    taught   such    a   wholesome 


SEVENTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  213 

lesson,  what    else,  according  to  the   Gospel,  did    He 
do? 

A.  Wishing  to  render  good  for  evil,  He  took  the 
occasion  to  enlighten  and  to  lead  His  tempters  and 
His  enemies  to  behold  in  His  person  the  promised 
Messias,  by  asking  them  what  they  thought  of  Him 
Whom  they  all  expected,  and  whose  son  they  believed 
He  was  to  be. 

Q.  Did  the  Pharisees  give  a  correct  answer  when 
they  said  that  the  Christ  was  to  be  the  son  of  David  ? 

A.  They  answered  correctly  in  part,  but  not  in  full. 
The  Messias  was  true  God  and  true  man,  and  hence 
they  should  have  said:  As  God,  the  Christ  was  the 
son  of  the  Eternal  Father;  and  as  man.  He  was  a 
descendant  of  the  house  of  David.  But  the  Pharisees 
either  did  not  know  or  did  not  want  to  believe  in  the 
divinit}'^  of  Jesus  Christ;  therefore  they  gave  only  a 
partial  answer.  The  Divine  Master,  however,  did 
not  omit  to  place  this  great  truth  before  them,  and 
convinced  them  in  such  a  manner  that  no  one  was 
able  to  answer  Him  a  word. 

Q.   With  what  argument  did  He  silence  them? 

A.  By  showing  them  that  David,  inspired  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  called  the  Christ  his  Lord,  thus  giving 
Him  a  title  which  he  w^ould  not  have  given  Him  if 
he  had  not  known  Him  to  be  greater  than  he  himself, 
because  He  was  the  Son  of  God,  Who  was  to  make  His 
enemies  His  footstool.  In  this  way  He  proved  His  di- 
vinity and  showed  them  the  triumph  which  He  was 
to  have  over  them. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 
A.  We  are  to  learn  that  our  first  and  greatest  duty 
is  to  love  God  above  all  things  and  our  neighbor  as 


214  EIGHTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

ourselves.  We  are  to  learn  further  not  to  question 
or  cavil  with  God  on  the  maxims  of  religion.  Lastly, 
we  are  to  learn  how  great  our  confusion  will  be,  if, 
like  the  Pharisees,  we  dare  to  impugn -anything  that 
redounds  to  the  glory  of  Jesus  Christ. 


EIGHTEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 

Gospel:  St.  Matthew  ix.  i-8. 

AT  that  time:  "Jesus,  entering  into  a  boat,  passed  over 
the  water  and  came  into  His  own  city.  And  be- 
hold they  brought  to  Him  one  sick  of  the  palsy  lying  in 
a  bed.  And  Jesus,  seeing  their  faith,  said  to  the  man 
sick  of  the  palsy:  Be  of  good  heart,  son,  thy  sins  are  for- 
given thee.  And  behold  some  of  the  scribes  said  within 
themselves:  He  blasphemeth.  And  Jesus,  seeing  their, 
thoughts,  said:  Why  do  you  think  evil  in  your  hearts? 
Whether  is  easier,  to  say,  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee:  or 
to  say,  Arise  and  walk?  But  that  you  may  know  that 
the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins,  (then 
saith  He  to  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy:)  Arise,  take  up  thy 
bed,  and  go  into  thy  house.  And  he  arose,  and  went 
into  his  house.  And  the  multitude  seeing  it,  feared,  and 
glorified  God  that  gave  such  power  to  men. " 

Q.  What  city  was  that  which  Jesus  went  to? 

A.  It  was  the  city  of  Capharnaum,  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  river  Jordan,  a  little  before  it  flows  into  the 
Sea  of  Tiberias,  also  called  the  Lake  of  Genesareth  and 
the  Sea  of  Galilee.  This  was  a  rich  commercial  city, 
and  the  emporium  of  all  Judea  on  account  of  its  great 
population,  its  extensive  trade,  and  the  concourse  of 
strangers. 


EIGHTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  215 

Q.  Why  does  the  Evangelist  call  Capharnaum  the 
city  of  Jesus,  saying:   "  He  came  into  His  own  city"? 

A.  The  home  of  Jesus  was  Nazareth,  but  vSt.  John 
Chrysostom  and  many  others  are  of  the  opinion  that 
He  cherished  a  special  affection  for  Capharnaum, 
so  that  St.  Matthew  called  it  His  city.  In  Caphar- 
naum there  was  a  house  where  Christ  was  accustomed 
to  meet  wath  His  apostles,  and  in  this  city  He  began  to 
preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  to  correct  the  prevailing- 
vices,  to  teach  virtue,  and  worked  many  astounding 
miracles. 

Q.  What  miracles  did  Christ  perform  in  Caphar- 
naum? 

A.  He  healed  the  paralytic  mentioned  in  the  Gos- 
pel, He  restored  sight  to  tw^o  blind  persons,  and  healed 
the  deaf  and  dumb  man  who  was  possessed  by  the  devil, 
of  which  mention  is  made  in  the  Gospel  for  the  third 
Sunday  in  Lent.  He  also  cured  the  servant  of  the 
centurion,  the  woman  who  was  suffering  from  a  loss 
of  blood,  and  the  son  of  Regulus,  w^ho  was  dying  of 
fever.  Besides  these,  He  recalled  to  life  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jairus. 

Q.  Of  whom  was  this  paralytic  a  figure? 

A.  He  was  a  figure  of  the  human  race,  which  was 
sick  on  account  of  the  sin  of  its  first  parent.  This 
paralytic  was  in  a  pitiable  condition  ;  he  could  not  take 
a  step,  or  even  stand.  He  could  not  use  his  hands, 
and  he  was  incurable  by  natural  means.  In  like 
manner  the  human  race  was  reduced  to  a  most  deplor- 
able condition;  it  could  not  withstand  the  power  of 
the  passions,  it  could  not  take  a  step  or  do  anything 
by  which  to  gain  heaven,  and  no  one  could  help  it  but 
Jesus  Christ  alone. 


2l6  EIGHTEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  say  to  the  man:  "Be  of  good 
heart,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee"? 

A.  The  health  of  his  body  would  have  been  of  lit- 
tle account  to  him  if  he  had  not  received  with  it  the 
health  of  his  soul ;  therefore  Jesus  first  gave  him  the 
most  necessary  grace,  that  is,  the  health  of  his  soul, 
and  then  that  of  less  importance,  the  health  of  his 
body. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  that  when  we  are  sick  our  first 
thought  should  be  to  place  ourselves  in  the  grace  of 
God,  thus  healing  our  soul  first,  because  diseases  are 
very  often  a  punishment  for  sins  committed ;  hence  a 
cure  can  scarcely  be  hoped  for  if  the  cause  has  not 
first  been  removed  by  repentance. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  those  who  said  that 
Jesus  blasphemed  when  He  said,  "  Thy  sins  are  for- 
given thee"? 

A.  We  need  not  be  surprised  at  this.  Ignorant 
people  call  all  things  they  do  not  understand  blunders 
and  folly ;  so  also  do  unbelievers  and'  the  wicked  call 
blasphemy  every  truth  of  faith  which  they  do  not 
comprehend  or  which  they  do  not  like.  Those 
scribes  did  not  know,  or  did  not  want  to  know,  that 
Jesus  was  God,  and  when  He  said  that  the  sins  of 
the  paralytic  were  forgiven  him,  these  words  seemed 
to  them  to  be  a  horrible  blasphemy.  How  many 
Christians  also  accuse  the  ministers  of  the  altar  of 
rigorism,  scrupulosity,  and  ignorance,  when  they 
announce  truths  that  are  not  according  to  the  taste  of 
their  corrupt  hearts,  or  which  appear  new  to  them, 
because  they  never  learned  their  religion  as  they 
should. 


EIGHTEENTH    SUXDAV    AFTER    PENTECOST.  217 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  rebuke  their  secret  thoughts? 

A.  This  appears  to  be  a  rebuke,  but  in  reality  it 
was  for  them  a  great  charity,  because,  as  God  alone 
can  penetrate  the  secrets  of  the  heart  and  mind,  Jesus, 
by  showing  that  He  knew  their  secret  thoughts,  gave 
them  a  convincing  proof  that  He  was  truly  God.  Sin- 
ners also  may  learn  from  this  that  no  matter  how 
much  they  strive  to  hide  themselves  before  men,  God 
always  knows  them,  for  He  searches  the  innermost 
recesses  of  the  heart. 

Q.  What  else  did  Christ  show  in  this  case? 

A.  By  the  fact  itself  He  show^ed  that,  on  account  of 
His  divinity  and  the  merits  of  His  passion,  He  had 
the  power  of  forgiving  sins  and  of  assisting  sinners 
by  His  grace  to  obtain  the  victory  over  their  passions 
and  to  walk  on  the  road  to  heaven,  like  the  paralytic 
who  arose  healthy  and  sound,  took  up  his  bed,  and 
went  into  his  house. 

Q.  Of  what,  therefore,  was  the  paralytic  a  figure 
on  this  occasion? 

A.  He  was  a  figure  of  mankind  restored  to  grace 
by  Jesus  Christ,  risen  again  from  the  weakness  to 
which  it  had  been  reduced  by  the  sin  of  its  first 
parent,  fortified  against  its  passions,  and  rendered 
able  to  walk  on  the  way  of  salvation  toward  its  home, 
paradise. 

Q.  Of  what  was  he  more  particularly  an  image? 

A.  St.  Gregory  says:  The  bed  upon  which  the 
paralytic  lay  prostrate  and  unable  to  move  signified 
the  carnal  passions  in  which  the  soul  of  a  sinner  lies 
abandoned  and  unable  to  do  any  good.  The  paralytic, 
in  carrying  his  bed  and  going  into  his  house,  is  a 
figure  of  the  sinner  who.  being  converted  and  placed 


2l8  NMNETEENTH    SUNDAY     AFTER     PENTECOST. 

in  the  state  of  grace,  rises  from  the  mire  of  his  pas- 
sions, carries  triumphantly  the  weight  of  temptations, 
strives  in  works  of  penance,  walks  in  the  path  of 
justice,  and  returns  to  that  house  which  is  prepared  for 
him  in  heaven  by  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  The  miserable  condition  of  the  paralytic  teaches 
us  to  fear  the  misery  to  which  our  sinful  passions 
can  reduce  us.  The  kindness  with  which  the  Divine 
Redeemer  treated  the  sick  man  invites  us  to  have 
great  confidence  in  God,  and  to  trust  in  His  mercy 
even  if  we  are  great  sinners.  The  greatness  of  the 
miracle  causes  us  to  admire  the  great  power  con- 
ferred by  Jesus  Christ  on  the  priests  in  order  that 
they  may  use  it  in  a  spiritual  manner  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  penance ;  and  the  whole  history  teaches  us 
to  fear,  to  give  thanks,  and  to  glorify  God,  and  Him 
Whom  He  sent  to  dwell  among  us,  Jesus  Christ,  His 
only  Son,  Our  Lord. 


NINETEENTH  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST, 

Gospel :  St.  Matthew  xxii.  2-14. 

AT  that  time:  Jesus  spoke  to  the  chief  priests  and 
Pharisees  in  parables,  saying:  "The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  likened  to  a  king,  who  made  a  marriage  for  his 
son.  And  he  sent  his  servants  to  call  them  that  were  in- 
vited to  the  marriage:  and  they  would  not  come.  Again 
he  sent  other  servants,  saying:  Tell  them  that  were  in- 
vited: Behold,  I  have  prepared  my  dinner;  my  beeves 
and  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all  things  are  ready:  come 
ye  to  the  marriage.     But  they  neglected,  and  went  their 


NINETEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  219 

waj^s,  one  to  his  farm  and  another  to  his  merchandise. 
And  the  rest  laid  hands  on  his  servants,  and,  having 
treated  them  contumeliously,  put  them  to  death.  But 
when  the  king  had  heard  of  it  he  was  angry,  and,  sending 
his  armies,  he  destroyed  those  murderers,  and  burnt  their 
city.  Then  he  saith  to  his  servants:  The  marriage  in- 
deed is  ready:  but  they  that  were  invited  were  not  worthy. 
Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways;  and  as  many  as  you 
shall  find  call  to  the  marriage.  And  his  servants,  going 
forth  into  the  highways,  gathered  together  all  that  they 
found,  both  bad  and  good:  and  the  marriage  was  filled 
with  guests.  And  the  king  went  in  to  see  the  guests: 
and  he  saw  there  a  man  who  had  not  on  a  wedding  gar- 
ment. And  he  saith  to  him :  Friend,  how  camest  thou  in 
hither  not  having  a  wedding  garment?  But  he  was  silent. 
Then  the  king  said  to  the  waiters:  Bind  his  hands  and 
feet,  and  cast  him  into  the  exterior  darkness:  there  shall 
be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  For  many  are  called, 
but  few  are  chosen." 

Q.   What  was  the  object  of  this  parable? 

A.  It  was  to  warn  the  Jews  of  the  danger  and  of 
the  fatal  consequences  of  their  obstinacy  in  refusing 
to  recognize  in  Him  that  Messias  Who  came  to  call 
them  in  the  name  of  His  Eternal  Father  to  partake  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Q.  What  does  the  kingdom  of  heaven  signify,  who 
is  the  king,  and  who  is  the  bridegroom  ? 

A.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  the  Church,  in  which 
God  exercises  His  power  over  the  minds  and  hearts ; 
the  royal  father  who  prepares  the  nuptial  feast  is 
the  same  God  Who  invites  all  mankind  to  enter  the 
Church,  and  the  bridegroom  is  Jesus  Christ,  true  God 
and  true  man.  Who  is  united  to  the  Church  by  the 
strongest  ties. 


220  NINETEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  nuptial  feast? 

A.  That  most  bountiful  feast  of  eternal  life  which 
is  received  in  the  Church,  whether  of  doctrine,  of 
grace,  or  of  the  merits  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  Why  is  such  a  feast  said  to  be  prepared  by  the 
royal  father? 

A.  Because  the  holy  Church  was  ordained  and  pre- 
pared by  God  from  all  eternity,  and  God  sent  His 
only  begotten  Son  to  become  man  to  complete  the 
great  work  begun  by  Him. 

Q.  Who  are  the  invited,  and  who  are  they  who 
did  not  accept  the  first  invitation? 

A.  The  invited  are  all  the  children  of  Adam,  as 
well  of  the  Old  as  of  the  New  Dispensation,  and  those 
v/ho  refused  the  first  invitation  were  principally  the 
Gentiles,  who  did  not  believe  in  the  Christ  Who  was 
to  come,  and  did  not  profit  by  the  example  of  the 
chosen  people.  They  were  also  the  Jews,  who  did 
not  listen  to  the  voice  of  the  prophets,  and  refused 
to  acknowledge  the  promised  and  expected  Messias. 
Lastly,  they  are  all  those  who  did  not  and  do  not  ac- 
cept the  truths  of  the  gospel. 

Q.  Who  were  the  servants  sent  out  by  the  king  to 
give  the  first  invitation? 

A.  They  were  the  prophets  who  invited  men  to 
believe  and  to  hope  in  the  Messias,  and  who  an- 
nounced His  coming.  His  sanctity.  His  miracles,  and 
all  the  circumstances  of  His  birth,  life,  passion,  and 
death. 

Q.   Who  were  those  sent  to  renew  the  invitation? 
A.  They  were  the  apostles  and  all  their  legitimate 
successors  in  the  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  the}' 


NINETEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  221 

are  now  all  the  ministers  of  the  altar  who  announce 
the  divine  word  and  invite  the  people  to  drink  with 
joy  from  the  rich  fountains  of  the  Saviour. 

Q.  What  do  the  animals  that  were  killed  for  the 
feast  signify  ? 

A.  All  this  food,  which  indicates  the  wealth  and 
sumptuousness  of  an  earthly  table,  signifies  the  abun- 
dance and  the  excellence  of  the  food  which  God  has 
prepared  for  our  souls  in  the  Church. 

Q.   How  do  we  prove  this  abundance? 

A.  If  we  consider  the  promises  of  God  made  to  the 
patriarchs,  the  predictions  of  the  prophets,  the  figures 
of  the  sacrifices  and  of  the  legal  ceremonies,  and  the 
foreshadowings  in  the  events  and  in  the  famous  per- 
sonages of  the  Hebrew  nation,  we  shall  see  with  what 
abundance  God  prepared  the  nuptial  feast  of  Jesus 
Christ;  that  is,  how  many  lights  and  how  many  means 
He  prepared,  in  order  that  the  promised  Saviour  might 
be  known  when  in  the  fulness  of  time  He  should 
appear  among  men. 

Q.  Does  this  abundance  stop  here? 

A.  Certainly  not.  If  we  consider  the  doctrines 
of  Jesus  Christ,  His  miracles.  His  example,  His 
death.  His  merits,  and  His  sacraments,  the  preach- 
ing of  the  apostles,  the  constancy  of  the  martyrs,  the 
prodigies  which  signalized  the  promulgation  of  the 
faith  and  the  constant  assistance  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
we  shall  comprehend  how  abundantly  God  has  pro- 
vided food  for  our  souls,  for  our  faith,  our  hope,  our 
charity,  our  perfection;  in  a  word,  for  the  nuptials  of 
the  Church  with  the  heavenly  Spouse. 

Q.  Who  are  they  who  maltreated  the  servants? 


222  NINETEENTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

A.  First,  they  are  the  Jews,  who  stoned  the  proph- 
ets and  crucified  Christ.  Secondly,  they  are  the 
persecutors  of  the  Church,  who  condemned  the  pro- 
mulgators of  the  gospel  to  all  kinds  of  torments ;  and 
lastly,  they  are  those  who  persecute  the  priests  because 
they  are  the  ministers  of  God  and  the  teachers  of  re- 
ligion. 

Q.  How  was  the  revenge  of  the  angry  king  realized 
in  regard  to  the  Jews? 

A.  You  find  the  answer  in  the  ruins  of  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  and  in  the  Jews  themselves,  scattered  over 
the  face  of  the  earth  without  throne  or  temple. 

Q.  Who  are  they  who  were  called  from  all  parts 
and  partook  of  the  marriage-feast? 

A.  They  were  the  Gentiles  and  the  people  of  every 
nation  who,  called  by  the  apostles  to  the  profession 
of  the  gospel,  embraced  the  holy  faith  and  filled  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  Of  whom  was  the  man  a  figuje  who  had  not  on 
a  nuptial  garment? 

A.  He  was  the  sad  image  of  all  those  who  are  in- 
deed in  the  Church  because  they  have  been  baptized, 
but  who  have  not  the  nuptial  garment ;  that  is,  who 
have  not  justice  and  sanctifying  grace,  because  they 
are  in  the  state  of  mortal  sin. 

Q.  Why  did  the  king  call  that  man  a  friend? 

A.  From  this  we  may  learn  that  God  hates  sin, 
but  not  the  sinner;  because,  although  he  is  His 
enemy  by  sin,  still  he  is  His  creature,  created  unto- 
His  likeness,  and  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ;  therefore  He  is  inclined  to  treat  him  in  a 
friendly  manner  whenever,  accepting  the  invitation 


TWENTIETH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  223 

of  His  grace,  he  will  ask  pardon  for  his  sins  and  pro- 
vide himself  by  repentance  with  the  nuptial  garment, 
which  he  has  not  when  in  the  state  of  sin. 

Q.   Why,  then,  did  he  sentence  him  to  be  punished  ? 

A.  In  order  to  warn  us  that  the  sinner  who  is  mute 
and  does  not  confess  his  guilt  and  ask  for  pardon,  as 
this  man  in  the  Gospel,  will  be  banished  from  eternal 
joy,  and  will  be  sentenced  to  be  cast  out  of  the  king- 
dom into  eternal  pain. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  parable  of  the 
Gospel  ? 

A.  We  are  to  learn  principally  three  things:  first, 
not  to  despise  divine  grace:  second,  to  be  sure 
that  we  have  the  nuptial  garment,  which  is  sanctify- 
ing grace ;  and  lastly,  that  it  is  not  enough  to  be  in 
the  Church  and  to  bear  the  name  of  Christian  in 
order  to  be  saved,  as  it  was  not  sufficient  for  that  man 
to  be  seated  at  the  nuptial  banquet,  from  which  he  was 
ignominiously  banished. 


TWENTIETH  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST 

Gospel :  St.  John  iv.  46-53. 

AT  that  time:  "There  was  a  certain  ruler  whose  son 
was  sick  at  Capharnaum.  He  having  heard  that 
Jesus  was  come  from  Judea  into  Galilee,  went  to  Him,  and 
prayed  Him  to  come  down  and  heal  his  son,  for  he  was  at 
the  point  of  death.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  him :  Unless 
you  see  signs  and  wonders  you  believe  not.  The  ruler 
saith  to  him:  Lord,  come  down  before  that  my  son  die. 
Jesus  saith  to  him:  Go  thy  way,  thy  son  liveth.  The 
man  believed    the  word  which  Jesus   said   to   him,  and 


224  TWENTIETH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

went  his  way.  And  as  he  was  going  down  his  servants 
met  him:  and  they  brought  word,  saying  that  his  son 
lived.  He  asked  therefore  of  them  the  hour  wherein  he 
grew  better.  And  they  said  to  him :  Yesterday  at  the 
seventh  hour  the  fever  left  him.  The  father  therefore 
knew  that  it  was  at  the  same  hour  that  Jesus  said  to  him, 
Thy  son  liveth;  and  himself  believed,  and  his  whole 
house." 

Q.  Where  did  Jesus  work  this  miracle,  and  where 
was  this  ruler  from  ? 

A.  Jesus  worked  this  miracle  in  the  city  of  Cana  in 
Galilee,  where  He  had  converted  w^ater  into  wine. 
The  ruler  was  from  Capharnaum,  which  is  situated  at 
the  north-western  side  of  the  Lake  of  Genesareth, 
many  miles  distant  from  Cana.  Capharnaum  w^as 
a  city  loved  by  the  Divine  Teacher,  and  one  which 
He  had  made  famous  by  many  miracles. 

Q.  Why  did  Christ  rebuke  that  man,  saying:  "Un- 
less you  see  signs  and  wonders  you  believe  not"? 

A.  He  did  this  to  show  the  ruler  the  imperfection 
of  his  faith,  for  if  he  really  believed, that  Christ  was 
true  God.  he  would  have  known  that  a  simple  act 
of  His  all-powerful  will  was  sufficient  to  cure  his 
dying  son,  and  that  it  w^as  not  necessary  for  the  sick 
son  to  be  present  in  person.  This  reproof  was  given, 
however,  not  only  to  him,  but  also  to  all  who  thought 
like  him,  and  w^hose  faith  was  as  imperfect  as  his 
was. 

Q.  Did  this  rebuke  open  the  eyes  of  the  ruler  to  see 
the  imperfection  of  his  faith? 

A.  No;  but  he  renewed  his  prayer  and  requested 
the  Divine  Teacher  to  come  down  to  his  house  before 
his  son  died.     How  many  Christians,  even  in  our  day. 


\  TWENTIETH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  225 

by  Supplying  to  others  the  reproofs  which  they  should 
apply  to  themselves,  continue  in  their  defects  without 
correcting  themselves  as  they  should. 

Q.  Was  Christ  vexed  because  the  ruler  persisted 
in  his  imperfect  faith  ? 

A.  He  was  not  vexed,  but  in  His  mercy  He  chose 
rather  to  cure  his  mind  by  hearing  his  prayer  and 
by  w^orking  the  miracle  without  moving  from  the 
place  where  He  w^as.  Let  us  admire  here  the  patience 
and  the  goodness  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Who  had 
compassion  for  human  infirmities,  and  bestowed  His 
favors  even  on  those  who  were  imperfect. 

Q.  Why  did  He  refuse  to  go  to  Capharnaum?  W^as 
the  journey  difficult? 

A.  He  did  not  mind  the  inconvenience  of  such  a 
journey,  but  He  knew  very  well  that  if  He  then  and 
at  such  a  distance  cured  the  sick  son.  He  would  there- 
by prove  that  He  was  God,  Who  sees  and  controls  ab- 
sent things  as  if  they  were  present,  it  being  sufficient 
for  Him  to  say:   "Go,  thy  son  liveth." 

Q.  W'as  the  ruler's  faith  perfected  by  these  words 
of  Christ? 

A.  The  ruler  believed  the  words  of  the  Divine 
Teacher,  and,  therefore,  his  faith  increased;  still,  as 
we  can  gather  from  the  Gospel,  his  faith  was  as  yet 
not  perfect. 

Q.  When  did  his  faith  become  perfect? 

A.  When  the  ruler  heard  from  his  servants,  who 
had  come  in  haste  to  meet  their  master,  that  the  fever 
had  suddenly  left  his  dying  son  the  day  before  at  the 
seventh  hour,  that  is,  one  hour  after  midday,  and, 
therefore,  at  the  very  same  moment  when  Christ  had 
15 


226  TWENTIETH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

assured  him  that  his  son  would  live,  then  he  was  con- 
vinced that  Christ  was  truly  the  Son  of  God ;  that  He 
was  almighty,  and  the  Lord  of  life  and  death;  he 
believed  Him  to  be  the  expected  Messias,  and  he  and 
his  whole  family  sincerely  embraced  the  faith  of  the 
gospel. 

Q.  Of  whom  were  the  ruler,  his  sick  son,  and  the 
fever  figures? 

A.  Some  sacred  interpreters  recognize,  in  this  ruler 
who  left  his  home  to  seek  Christ,  the  human  mind 
as  a  queen  in  the  midst  of  all  things  created,  which 
naturally  rises  above  all  material  things,  and,  leaving 
far  behind  what  is  subject  to  the  senses,  goes  in 
search  of  the  truth  that  comes  from  heaven.  In  the 
ruler's  sick  son  they  recognize  the  human  will,  weak 
and  wavering  in  the  midst  of  the  seduction  of  the 
world ;  and  in  the  fever  they  recognize  the  power  of 
the  passions,  which  corrupt  the  will  and  cause  it  to  be 
almost  without  life  in  regard  to  doing  good. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  First,  we  are  to  learn  how  useful  trials  and 
afflictions  are  to  lead  us  to  God,  for  the  ruler  and  his 
whole  house  would  perhaps  not  have  believed  in  Jesus 
Christ  if  the  son  had  not  been  afflicted  with  that 
mortal  sickness.  Secondly,  we  are  to  admire  the 
goodness  of  God  in  bearing  with  our  imperfections 
when  we  pray  to  Him ;  and  lastly,  like  that  ruler, 
we  are  to  lead  our  neighbor,  at  least  by  our  good  ex- 
ample, to  the  knowledge  of  God  and  to  the  faithful 
observance  of  His  holy  law. 


TWF.NTY-FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  227 


TWENTY-FIRST  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel :  St.  Matthew  xviii.  23-35. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  spoke  to  His  disciples  this  par- 
able: "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  to  a  king, 
who  would  take  an  account  of  his  servants.  And  when 
he  had  begun  to  take  the  account,  one  was  brought  to  him 
that  owed  him  ten  thousand  talents.  And  as  he  had  not 
wherewith  to  pay  it,  his  lord  commanded  that  he  should 
be  sold,  and  his  wife  and  children,  and  all  that  he  had, 
and  payment  to  be  made.  But  that  servant,  falling  down, 
besought  him,  saying:  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I 
will  pay  thee  all.  And  the  lord  of  that  servant,  being 
moved  with  pity,  let  him  go  and  forgave  him  the  debt. 
But  when  that  servant  was  gone  out,  he  found  one  of  his 
fellow-servants  that  owed  him  a  hundred  pence;  and  lay- 
ing hold  of  him,  he  throttled  him,  saying:  Pay  what  thou 
owest.  And  his  fellow-servant,  falling  dov,'n,  besought 
him,  saying:  Have  patience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee 
all.  And  he  would  not,  but  went  and  cast  him  into 
prison,  till  he  paid  the  debt.  Now  his  fellows-servants, 
seeing  what  was  done,  were  very  much  grieved,  and  they 
came  and  told  their  lord  all  that  was  done.  Then  his  lord 
called  him,  and  said  to  him:  Thou  wicked  servant!  I  for- 
gave thee  all  the  debt,  because  thou  besoughtest  me : 
shouldst  not  thou  then  have  had  compassion  also  on  thy 
fellow-servant,  even  as  I  had  compassion  on  thee?  And 
his  lord  being  angry,  delivered  him  to  the  torturers  until 
he  paid  all  the  debt.  So  also  shall  My  Heavenly  Father 
do  to  you,  if  you  forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  from 
your  hearts." 

O.  Of  whom  are  this  king  and  the  debtor  in  the 
parable  figures? 


228  TWENTY-FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

A.  As  in  all  the  other  parables  so  in  this  the  king 
is  a  figure  of  God,  master  and  judge  of  the  universe; 
and  the  debtor  represents  sinful  man,  who  must 
render  an  account  of  all  his  actions  to  the  Divine 
Justice. 

Q.  Why  is  this  servant  represented  as  being  so 
heavily  in  debt? 

A.  It  is  evident  that  the  Divine  Master  thus  repre- 
sented him  in  order  to  express  the  enormity  of  sin, 
and  the  immense  debt  contracted  with  God  by  him 
who  commits  it. 

Q.  What  fault  had  the  wife  and  children  committed, 
that  they  also  were  to  be  sold  ? 

A.  This  is  an  ornament  of  the  parable,  founded 
on  the  practice  of  certain  very  singular  cases,  as  can 
be  seen  in  Daniel.  At  any  rate  it  may  well  signify 
that  sometimes  a  whole  family  and  an  entire  commu 
nity  must  suffer  for  the  sin  of  a  father  or  of  a  mem- 
ber, in  the  same  manner  as  all  who  were  in  the  ship 
with  the  prophet  Jonas  were  in  danger  of  drowning, 
because  he  had  b@en  disobedient  to  God.  All  Egypt 
was  punished  on  account  of  Pharao,  and  three  thou- 
sand conquerors  of  Jericho  were  put  to  flight  near  the 
city  Hai  by  a  handful  of  uncircumcised  men,  on  ac- 
count of  one  only,  Achan. 

Q.  How  could  the  poor  servant  promise  to  pay  so 
large  a  sum? 

A.  Strictly  speaking,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
pay  such  an  enormous  debt,  but  this  was  said  to  sig- 
nify that  a  sinner,  although  he  cannot  do  anything 
of  himself,  can  truly  promise  to  satisfy  the  Divine 
Justice,  relying  on  the  infinite  treasure  of  the  passion 
and  merits  of  Jesus  Christ, 


TWENTY-FIRST    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  229 

Q.  How  could  the  king  be  so  easily  moved  to  com- 
passion and  forgive  so  great  a  debt? 

A.  From  this  we  should  learn  how  great  is  the 
goodness  of  God,  and  how  willingly  He  forgives  him 
who  sincerely  confesses  his  sins  and  firmly  resolves 
to  amend  his  life.  David  and  Magdalen  are  very 
eloquent  examples  of  this. 

Q.  Of  whom  is  that  servant  a  figure  who  refused 
to  have  pity  on  his  fellow-servant? 

A.  In  this  particular  he  is  a  figure  of  those  Chris- 
tians who  refuse  to  forgive  their  neighbor,  whilst 
they  themselves  dare  to  hope,  or  have  even  pre- 
viously obtained  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins,  which 
are  far  more  grievous. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  him  when  we  see  him 
having  recourse  to  the  tribunals  to  obtain  satisfaction  ? 

A.  By  acting  in  this  manner  he  is  the  odious  pict- 
ure of  those  vindictive  persons  who  make  use  of  all 
imaginable  means  to  obtain  satisfaction  for  injuries 
received,  and  it  makes  us  feel  how  disgraceful  and 
revolting  such  conduct  is. 

Q.  Why  did  his  fellow-servants  inform  their  master 
of  the  bad  conduct  of  this  man  ? 

A.  This  signifies  that  the  true  servants  of  the 
Lord  are  always  displeased  and  sorry  for  the  acts  of 
revenge  done  by  Christians,  and  that,  however  just 
the  satisfaction  obtained  may  appear  to  be,  the 
heavenly  blaster  will  always  know  it,  will  judge  it 
rigorously,  and  will  discover  the  secret  malice  thereof. 

Q.  But  this  master  did  not  oblige  the  servant  to 
cancel  the  obligations  due  him  from  others.  Why, 
then,  was  he  so  angry  with  him? 


230  TWENTY-SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

A.  Let  US  learn  from  this  how  angry  the'Lord  will  be 
with  US  if  we  exact  satisfaction,  knowing  that  He  has 
strictly  commanded  us  to  forgive  our  neighbor  from 
our  heart,  and  that  He  has  repeatedly  assured  us  that 
we  shall  be  treated  by  Him  in  the  same  manner  as  we 
have  treated  others. 

Q.  Why  did  the  master  deliver  that  servant  to  the 
torturers  ? 

A.  The  Divine  Teacher  said  this  in  the  parable  to 
let  us  know  that  whosoever  does  not  sincerely  forgive 
his  enemies  will  be  sentenced  to  the  torments  of  hell. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel? 

A.  In  the  first  place,  we  are  to  learn  to  acknowledge 
before  God  our  great  debts,  that  is,  our  sins,  with 
sincerity  and  humility  of  heart.  Secondly,  we  are  to 
learn  to  have  a  firm  purpose  of  making  good  our 
great  debt  as  far  as  we  can  with  the  assistance  of  di- 
vine grace,  by  repentance,  by  receiving  the  holy 
sacraments,  and  by  other  good  works.  Lastly,  we 
are  to  learn  sincerely  to  pardon  those  who  have  of- 
fended us,  and  to  fear  the  punishments  with  w^hich 
God  has  threatened  vindictive  men. 


TWENTY-SECOND  SUNDAY  AFTER  PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  xxii.  15-21. 

AT  that  time:  "The  Pharisees  going,  consulted  among 
themselves  how  to  ensnare  Jesus  in  His  speech. 
And  they  sent  to  Him  their  disciples  with  the  Herod- 
ians,  saying:  Master,  we  know  that  Thou  art  a  true 
speaker,  and  teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth,  neither 


TWENTY-SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  23 1 

carest  Thou  for  any  man :  for  Thou  dost  not  regard  the 
person  of  men.  Tell  us  therefore  what  dost  Thou  think, 
Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar  or  not?  But  Jesus, 
knowing  their  wickedness,  said:  Why  do  you  tempt  Me, 
ye  hypocrites?  Show  me  the  coin  of  the  tribute.  And 
they  offered  Him  a  penny.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them: 
Whose  image  and  inscription  is  this?  They  say  to  Him, 
Caesar's.  Then  He  saith  to  them:  Render  therefore  to 
Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's,  and  to  God  the  things 
that  are  God's." 

Q.  For  what  purpose  did  the  Pharisees  and  Herod- 
ians  present  themselves  before  our  Divine  Teacher? 

A.  They  approached  Him  with  the  perfidious  de- 
sign of  catching  Him  in  His  words,  and  of  finding 
in  His  reply  to  their  question  an  excuse  to  condemn 
Him  and  make  Him  odious  to  one  or  the  other  of  the 
opposing  parties. 

Q.  Whatw^as  their  question,  and  w^hat  did  the  Jews 
think  of  the  point  involved? 

A.  The  question  was  this:  Is  it  lawful  for  the 
Jew^s  to  pay  tribute  to  Csesar?  To  this  the  Hebrews 
were  very  much  opposed,  because  a  great  part  of 
them  submitted  unwillingly  to  the  law  imposing  the 
tribute ;  and  still  more,  follow^ing  the  teachings  of  a 
certain  Gaulonite,  were  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  not 
lawful  for  the  Hebrew  nation  to  pay  tribute  to  the 
Gentiles,  and  that  to  do  so  w^as  for  them  a  sin. 

Q.  To  w^hat  danger  w^as  Jesus  Christ  exposed  in  an- 
swering the  question? 

A.  If  He  declared  it  to  be  lawful  to  pay  tribute  to 
the  Romans  He  w^ould  have  made  Himself  odious  to 
the  Jews,  and  most  odious  to  the  followers  of  the  Gau- 
lonite,  the    leader    of    those   zealots  who    afterward 


2^2  TWENTY-SECOND    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

caused  so  much  misery  to  unfortunate  Jerusalem. 
And  if,  on  the  contrary,  He  declared  it  unlawful  to 
pay  the  tribute,  He  would  have  provoked  the  anger 
and  invited  the  vengeance  of  Caesar,  and  the  enmity 
and  persecution  of  Herod,  a  great  partisan  of  the 
emperor. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  think  of  the  great  praise  the 
Jews  and  Herodians  bestowed  on  our  Divine  Master? 

A.  The  praise  was  due  to  Jesus  Christ,  Who  merited 
it  in  the  strictest  and  highest  sense  of  the  term ;  but 
on  the  part  of  those  perfidious  hypocrites  it  was  a 
stroke  of  the  most  refined  malice  and  an  insidious 
trap  to  cause  Him  to  fall.  They  hoped,  by  blinding 
Him  with  flattery,  to  lead  Him  rashly  to  give  a  de- 
cision that  would  offend  one  or  the  other  party. 

Q.   But  Jesus  Christ  reproved  and  confounded  them  ? 

A.  The  reproof  which  our  Divine  Master  gave  them 
arose  not  from  anger  or  a  spirit  of  revenge ;  it  was 
rather  an  act  of  charity,  because  in  doing  this  He 
showed  Himself  a  scrutinizer  of  the  mind  and  heart, 
and  gave  them  an  occasion  of  enlightenment,  repent- 
ance, and  salvation,  if  they  had  reflected  and  profited 
by  it.  A  superior  should  not  withhold  a  reproof  from 
him  who  does  wrong  when  it  may  prove  beneficial  to 
the  wrong-doer  or  to  those  who  are  present. 

Q.  What  do  you  observe  in  this  reply  of  Jesus 
Christ? 

A.  We  see  and  admire  a  divine  prudence,  for  by 
this  answer,  and  without  offending  one  party  or  the 
other,  He  taught  the  obedience  due  to  those  in  au- 
thority, and  enlightened  the  conscience  of  the  Jews, 
by  calming  the  opposition  of  the  one  and  the  scruples 
of  the  other. 


TWENTY-THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  233 

Q.  Did  Jesus  Christ  on  this  occasion  teach  us  some- 
thing else  ? 

A.  Yes;  He  taught  us  to  give  sincerely  to  our  su- 
periors due  obedience  in  all  things,  and  to  render  to 
God  as  a  tribute  that  soul  which  is  marked  with  His 
image  and  with  the  indelible  characters  of  the  holy 
sacraments. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  this  Gospel  ? 

A.  We  are  taught  in  the  first  place  not  to  try  to 
deceive  our  neighbor  by  feigned  praise  and  adulation, 
as  in  our  day  is  done  by  many.  We  are  also  taught 
not  to  put  our  trust  in  the  praises  of  men.  We  are, 
moreover,  taught  not  to  give  our  opinion  too  rashly; 
not  to  offend  the  opinion  of  others  and  enforce  our 
own;  and  lastly,  we  are  taught  to  show  ourselves* 
obedient  subjects  of  authority  and  sincere  worshippers 
of  our  God. 


TWENTY-THIRD  SUNDAY  AFTER   PENTECOST. 
Gospel:  St.  Matthew  ix.  18-26. 

AT  that  time:  "As  Jesus  was  speaking  these  things 
tmto  them,  behold  a  certain  ruler  came  up,  and 
adored  Him,  saying:  Lord,  my  daughter  is  even  now 
dead;  but  come,  lay  Thy  hand  upon  her,  and  she  shall 
live.  And  Jesus  rising  up  followed  him  with  His  disci- 
ples. And  behold  a  woman  who  was  troubled  with  an 
issue  of  blood  twelve  years  came  behind  Him,  and 
touched  the  hem  of  His  garment.  For  she  said  within 
herself:  If  I  shall  touch  only  His  garment,  I  shall  be 
healed.  But  Jesns  turning  and  seeing  her,  said:  Be  of 
good    heart,  daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. 


234  TWENTY-THIRD    SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOST. 

And  the  woman  was  made  whole  from  that  hour.  And 
when  Jesus  was  come  into  the  house  of  the  ruler,  and 
saw  the  minstrels  and  the  multitude  making  a  rout  He 
said:  Give  place,  for  the  girl  is  not  dead,_  but  sleepeth. 
And  they  laughed  Him  to  scorn.  And  when  the  multi- 
tude was  put  forth,  He  went  in  and  took  her  by  the  hand. 
And  the  maid  arose.  And  the  fame  hereof  went  abroad 
into  all  that  country." 

Q.   First  of  all,  was  this  girl  dead? 

A.  In  reading  the  account  of  this  same  event  in  the 
other  Gospels  it  appears  that  w^hen  this  man,  whom 
Luke  calls  Jairus,  left  home,  his  daughter  was  dy- 
ing, and  that  as  he  w^as  returning  with  Jesus  Christ 
to  Capharnaum  he  met  the  servants  who  brought  him 
the  sad  news  of  her  death.  So  that  when  our  divine 
Lord  arrived  at  the  house  of  Jairus  the  daughter  had 
ceased  to  live. 

Q.  In  how  many  different  senses  may  this  Gospel 
be  understood  ? 

A.  In  three:  literal,  allegorical,  and  moral.  It  is 
first  to  be  understood  in  a  literal  sense,  because  the 
facts  related  are  literally  true.  In  the  second  place, 
it  can  be  interpreted  in  an  allegorical  sense,  because 
these  facts  are  symbolic  of  still  greater  things  in  the 
order  of  grace;  and  lastly,  these  same  facts,  taken 
in  a  moral  sense,  indicate  things  which  we  should 
do. 

Q.  Whom  does  Jairus  symbolize? 

A.  Jairus,  who  conducted  Jesus  to  the  house  where 
his  daughter  lay  dead,  was  a  leader  in  the  provincial 
synagogue  at  Capharnaum.  He  was  a  figure  of  Moses, 
who  was  the  leader  and  ruler  of  the  Hebrew  people, 
and  who  by  his  government  and  legislation  prepared 


TWENTY-THIRD    SUNDAY     AFTER    PENTECOST.  235 

the  way  for  the  advent  of  the  Messias,  Who  was  to 
come  into  the  world  and  into  the  house  of  Jacob,  and 
Who  was  to  give  life  to  the  human  race,  dead  through 
the  sin  of  Adam,  but,  unlike  the  fallen  angels,  ca- 
pable of  resurrection  through  the  grace  of  the  Re- 
deemer. 

Q.   And  whom  does  the  infirm  woman  represent? 

A.  Remember  that  this  woman,  who  for  twelve 
years  could  not  be  cured  by  all  the  efforts  of  the 
medical  art,  was  unclean  according  to  the  law,  and 
was  cured  on  the  public  street  by  touching  the  gar- 
ment of  our  Divine  Redeemer,  and  she  obtained  this 
grace  before  the  girl  who  was  dead.  This  infirm 
woman,  then,  was  an  image  of  the  Gentile  people, 
spiritually  infirm  for  so  long  a  time,  without  any  of 
their  philosophers  being  able  to  lead  them  to  salvation  ; 
impure  by  their  superstitions,  and  by  their  shameful 
customs  placed  outside  of  the  house  of  Jacob  and 
wandering  in  the  way  of  perdition,  but  cured  by 
their  approach  to  Jesus  Christ  and  by  recognizing 
Him  as  true  God  and  man,  and  led  to  the  spiritual  life 
before  the  Hebrews,  always  obstinate  in  the  shadow  of 
death. 

Q.  And  the  girl,  first  sick  and  then  dead,  whom 
does  she  represent? 

A.  This  girl  symbolizes  the  synagogue,  or  the 
Hebrew  people,  in  this  way:  The  Hebrews  had  in 
their  midst  the  Messias,  but,  actuated  by  their  pre- 
possessions and  blinded  by  their  passions,  they  refused 
to  recognize  Him  as  such;  they  hated  Him  and  per- 
secuted Him  to  death.  They  were  then  dying  be- 
fore God  and  about  to  be  rejected  by  Him.  They 
had    placed   Him   on   the   cross    and   set   themselves 


236  TWENTY-TMIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

against  accepting  Him  as  the  promised  Christ,  and 
thus  they  were  dead  in  the  eyes  of  the  God  of  their 
fathers. 

Q.  Why  then  did  Christ  say  that  the  girl,  the 
image  of  the  synagogue,  was  not  dead,  but  only  sleep- 
ing? 

A.  The  girl  was  really  dead,  but,  because  the  Di- 
vine Redeemer  had  determined  to  resuscitate  her,  He 
compared  her  death  to  a  sleep,  and  said  she  slept,  in- 
dicating that  she  would  awake  and  return  to  the  du- 
ties of  life. 

Q.   How  can  you  apply  this  to  the  Hebrew  people? 

A.  At  present  the  Hebrews,  obstinate  in  their 
blindness,  are  outside  of  the  Church,  are  deprived  of 
sanctifying  grace,  and  sleep  the  sleep  of  death;  but 
before  the  end  of  the  world  they  will  awake  from 
their  deep  lethargy,  adore  Jesus  crucified,  enter  into 
the  Church,  and  will  be  of  the  one  fold  and  one  shep- 
herd. Thus  the  Hebrew  nation  is  not  entirely  dead 
forever;  now  it  sleeps  in  its  incredulity,  but  one  day 
it  will  be  aroused  and  called  into  life  by  the  grace  of 
the  Redeemer.  We  say,  then,  in  reference  to  it :  The 
child  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth. 

Q.  In  a  moral  sense,  what  do  we  see  in  the  woman 
infirm  for  twelve  years? 

A.  We  see  in  this  woman  the  sad  image  of  a  soul 
grown  old  in  sin,  a  soul  to  which  the  services  of  the 
priest,  good  or  terrible  examples,  and  experience, 
whether  prosperous  or  unfortunate,  have  been  for  a 
longf  time  of  no  benefit. 


't5 


Q.   What  is  to  be  said  about  the  sudden  cure  by 
touching  the  garment  of  Christ? 


TWENTY-THIRD    SUNDAN     AKTKR    I'tXTECOST.  237 

A.  As  the  mystic  garment  of  the  Incarnate  Word  is 
His  most  holy  humanity,  we  can  see  how  great  is 
the  efficacy  of  the  Most  Holy  vSacrament  to  cure  a 
sinner  of  his  spiritual  maladies ;  also  all  those  grown 
old  in  sin  if  they  put  themselves  in  the  way  of  pen- 
ance and  seek  in  this  sacrament  the  proper  remedy. 

Q.  Why  did  Jesus  Christ,  as  St.  Mark  tells  us, 
oblige  the  infirm  woman  to  make  known  her  in- 
firmity ? 

A.  He  did  this  in  order  that  sinners  should  learn 
to  confess  with  sincerity  and  courage  to  the  priests, 
the  dispensers  of  His  graces,  their  spiritual  infirmi- 
ties, howsoever  enormous  and  shameful,  in  order  to 
obtain  mercy,  pardon,  and  perfect  cure. 

Q.   And  the  dead  girl,  what  did  she  represent? 

A.  She  represented  a  soul  recently  fallen  into  mortal 
sin  through  frailty,  surprise,  or  the  violence  of  temp- 
tation, rather  than  through  malice  or  depravity  of 
heart. 

Q.  And  did  Christ  on  this  account  say  that  she  was 
not  dead,  but  asleep? 

A.  Yes;  because  God  ordinarily  by  His  mercy  calls 
souls  suddenly,  principally  by  a  great  remorse,  to  a 
sincere  repentance  and  a  prompt  return  to  the  state 
of  grace;  and  the  time  of  their  spiritual  death  being 
of  short  duration,  they  may  be  said  to  be  asleep  rather 
than  dead. 

Q.  Were  there  many  present  at  the  resurrection  of 
this  girl? 

A.  According  to  St.  ^lark,  there  were  present  her 
relations  and  the  three  apostles,  Peter,  James,  and 
John,  the  crowd  having  been  sent  out. 


238  TWENTY-THIRD    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

Q.   How  many  did  Jesus  Christ  raise  from  the  dead? 

A.  Not  all  the  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ  are  recorded 
in  the  Gospels,  and  therefore  we  find  only  three  raised 
from  the  dead,  namely,  the  girl  of  twelve  years,  the  son 
of  the  widow  of  Naim,  and  Lazarus  of  Bethania,  the 
brother  of  Martha  and  Mary. 

Q.  Had  these  three  dead  persons  the  same  signifi- 
cation ? 

A.  No.  The  girl,  as  has  been  said,  represented  a 
soul  fallen  into  grievous  sin  through  frailty  rather 
than  through  malice ;  the  son  of  the  widow  signified 
an  habitual  sinner  borne  to  perdition  by  his  vices,  to 
resuscitate  whom  a  very  great  grace  is  necessary;  and 
Lazarus  represented  a  sinner  grown  old  in  iniquity 
and  corrupted  by  the  passions,  for  whose  conversion 
it  requires  almost  a  miracle  of  grace. 

Q.  What  are  we  to  learn  from  the  whole  of  this 
Gospel? 

A.  We  learn  to  have  recourse  to  Jesus  Christ  in 
all  our  needs  with  a  lively  faith  and  with  humility,  as 
had  the  ruler  and  the  infirm  woman.  We  should  also 
admire  the  great  goodness  of  our  Divine  Redeemer, 
Who  was  so  prompt  to  console  those  who  asked  Him ; 
He  will  do  the  same  for  us  if  we  ask  Him  from  our 
hearts.  Lastly,  as  our  Divine  Master  sent  away  the 
musicians  from  the  bed  of  the  dead  girl,  so  we  on  the 
occasion  of  death  should  seek  help  for  the  soul,  and  not 
the  noise  and  clamor  and  the  vain  pomp  of  the  world. 


TWENTY-FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  239 


TWENTY-FOURTH  AND  LAST   SUNDAY   AFTER 
PENTECOST 

Gospel :  St.  Matthew  xxiv.  15-35. 

AT  that  time,  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples:  "When 
therefore  you  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desola- 
tion, which  was  spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  stand- 
ing in  the  holy  place,  he  that  readeth,  let  him  understand. 
Then  they  that  are  in  Judea,  let  them  flee  to  the  moun- 
tains. And  he  that  is  on  the  house-top,  let  him  not  come 
down  to  take  anything  out  of  his  house.  And  he  that  is 
in  the  field,  let  him  not  go  back  to  take  his  coat.  And 
woe  to  them  that  are  with  child,  and  that  give  suck  in 
those  days.  But  pray  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  win- 
ter, or  on  the  Sabbath.  For  there  shall  be  then  great 
tribulation,  such  as  hath  not  been  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world  until  now,  neither  shall  be.  And  unless  those 
days  had  been  shortened,  no  flesh  should  be  saved :  but 
for  the  sake  of  the  elect  those  days  shall  be  shortened. 
Then  if  any  man  shall  say  to  you :  Lo  here  is  Christ,  or 
there,  do  not  believe  him.  For  there  shall  arise  false 
Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show  great  signs 
and  wonders,  in  so  much  as  to  deceive  (if  possible)  even 
the  elect.  Behold  I  have  told  it  to  you  beforehand.  If 
therefore  they  shall  say  to  you :  Behold  He  is  in  the  des- 
ert, go  ye  not  out;  behold  He  is  in  the  closets,  believe 
it  not.  For  as  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  East,  and  ap- 
peareth  even  unto  the  West,  so  shall  also  the  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man  be.  Wheresoever  the  body  shall  be,  there 
shall  the  eagles  also  be  gathered  together.  And  imme- 
diately after  the  tribulation  of  those  days  the  sun  shall 
be  darkened,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and 
the    stars    shall    fall    from    heaven,    and    the   powers   of 


240  TWENTY-FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

heaven  shall  be  moved.  And  then  shall  appear  the  sign 
of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven :  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes 
of  the  earth  mourn :  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man 
coming  in  the  clonds  of  heaven  with  much  power  and 
majesty.  And  He  shall  send  His  angels  with  a  trumpet, 
and  a  great  voice:  and  they  shall  gather  together  His 
elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  farthest  parts  of  the 
heavens  to  the  utmost  bounds  of  them.  And  from  the 
fig-tree  learn  a  parable:  when  the  branch  thereof  is  now 
tender,  and  the  leaves  come  forth,  you  know  that  summer 
is  nigh.  vSo  you  also,  when  you  shall  see  all  these  things, 
know  ye  that  it  is  nigh,  even  at  the  doors.  Amen,  I  say 
to  you,  that  this  generation  shall  not  pass  till  all  these 
things  be  done.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but 
My  words  shall  not  pass." 

Q.  What  is  the  object  of  this  discourse  of  Christ? 

A.  Christ  had  two  things  in  view.  One  was  to  ad- 
vise His  followers  among  the  Jews  to  escape  the  evils 
that  were  to  come  over  Jerusalem,  and  the  other  was 
to  w^arn  Christians  who  w^ill  be  living  at  the  end  of 
the  world  to  be  prepared  for  the  great  desolation  that 
will  precede  His  second  coming,  when  He  will  come 
to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead.  For  this  reason 
does  the  Divine  Master  foretell  the  calamities  that 
will  befall  the  obstinate  city  of  Jerusalem  before  her 
entire  destruction ;  and  He  predicts  the  dreadful 
events  that  will  take  place  when  the  end  of  the  world 
and  the  dreadful  day  of  judgment  are  near  at  hand. 

Q.  In  regard  to  the  Jews,  what  is  the  abomination 
mentioned  in  this  Gospel? 

A.  This  abomination  foretold  by  Daniel  (chap,  ix.) 
in  regard  to  the  Jews  has  reference  to  the  strife,  the 
murders,  sacrileges,  and  all  kinds  of  crimes  committed 
by  the  different  factions,  more  especially  by  that  of 


TWENTY-FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  24 1 

the  so-called  "Zealots,"  not  only  in  the  streets  and 
squares  of  the  holy  city,  but  also  in  the  very  temple. 
The  crimes  committed  by  them  in  the  days  preceding 
the  fall  of  Jerusalem  are  so  horrible  that  they  may 
truly  be  called  the  abominations  of  desolation ;  that 
is,  abominations  that  are  the  forerunners  of  the  ap- 
proaching desolation. 

Q.  In  regard  to  Christians,  of  what  abomination 
did  Christ  speak? 

A.  He  spoke  of  that  abomination  which  will  be 
caused  by  all  sorts  of  crimes,  and  which,  like  a  mighty 
torrent,  will  overflow  the  earth  in  the  days  of  Anti- 
christ, who  will  appear  at  the  end  of  the  world. 

Q.  What  counsel  did  Christ  give  the  Jews  who  be- 
lieved in  Him  ? 

A.  He  most  earnestly  advised  them  to  flee  as  soon 
as  possible  in  order  not  to  be  overtaken  by  the  calami- 
ties that  were  to  befall  Jerusalem,  as,  in  fact,  the  Chris- 
tians did  who  were  in  the  city  and  environs  at  the 
first  sight  of  the  Roman  army. 

Q.  What  did  Christ,  by  the  same  words,  mean  to 
say  to  the  Christians  who  will  live  at  the  end  of  the 
world  ? 

A.  He  counsels  them  to  flee  from  the  general  cor- 
ruption that  will  reign  supreme  with  Anti-christ,  even 
at  the  cost  of  what  is  most  dear  to  them  on  this  earth, 
preferring  to  lose  all  temporal  things  rather  than 
lose  their  souls  and  forfeit  the  imperishable  goods  of 
heaven. 

Q.  What  do  these  words  mean :  "  Woe  to  them 
that  are  with  child,  and  that  give  suck  in  those  days. 


242  TWENTY-FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST. 

But  pray  that  your  flight  be  not  in  winter  or  on  the 
Sabbath"? 

A.  In  reference  to  the  Jews  these  words  signify  the 
extreme  danger  they  would  incur  during  the  siege  of 
the  city,  and  as  mothers  and  nurses  are  unable  to 
travel  far,  and  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  undertake 
a  long  journey  in  winter  or  on  the  Sabbath,  which 
last  was  forbidden  by  the  law.  He  spoke  to  them 
in  this  manner  to  make  them  understand  how  ne- 
cessary it  was  to  leave  hastily  that  city  devoted  to 
destruction. 

Q.  What  do  those  words  mean  in  regard  to  us? 

A.  He  whose  heart  is  controlled  by  passions 
which  cause  him  to  commit  all  kinds  of  sin,  who 
cherishes  carnal  affections,  and  is  attached  to  the 
things  of  this  world,  cannot  walk  as  he  ought  in  the 
way  of  salvation.  On  this  account  Christ  said :  Woe 
to  those  who  will  not  be  able  to  escape  the  torrent  of 
iniquity  that  will  overflow  the  earth,  especially  in  the 
days  of  Anti-christ.  In  telling  them  to  pray  that 
their  flight  may  not  be  in  winter  or  on  the  Sabbath  He 
advised  the  sinners  not  to  delay  their  conversion  and 
necessary  penance  to  old  age,  symbolized  by  winter; 
and  much  less  should  they  defer  them  until  their  last 
sickness  or  last  day  of  life,  symbolized  by  the  Sab- 
bath, for  in  such  a  case  they  would  risk  dying  im- 
penitent for  want  of  time  or  of  strength,  and  thus  be 
the  victims  of  eternal  desolation. 

Q.   Who  are  the  false  prophets  mentioned  by  Christ  ? 

A.  In  regard  to  the  Jews  they  were  those  who,  dur- 
ing and  after  the  affliction  of  Jerusalem,  endeavored 
to  deceive  the  people  by  pretending  they  were  the 
expected    Messias,   foremost    among  whom  was   one 


TWENTY-FOURTH    SUNDAY    AFTER    PENTECOST.  243 

Barcocheba.  In  regard  to  us  the  false  prophets  are 
the  teachers  of  false  doctrines,  of  heresies,  and  of  bad 
morals,  who  always  have  endeavored  to  change  the 
truths  of  the  gospel,  and  who  will  exert  their  whole 
strength  and  power  to  that  effect  in  the  days  of 
Anti-christ,  at  the  end  of  the  world. 

Q.   What  are  we  to  learn  from  all  this? 

A.  Considering  how  all  the  predictions  in  regard  to 
Jerusalem  were  most  minutely  fulfilled,  we  under- 
stand why  Jesus  Christ  said  that  heaven  and  earth 
shall  pass  away,  but  that  His  words  shall  not  pass 
away.  Moreover,  let  us  learn  to  fear  the  dreadful 
punishments  of  the  anger  of  God,  to  do  penance 
for  our  sins,  to  avoid  the  occasions  of  sin,  and  to 
prepare  ourselves  for  the  day  of  judgment,  of  which 
the  Gospel  speaks,  and  which  was  explained  on  the 
first  Sunday  of  Advent. 


Printed  by  Benziger  Brothers,  New  York. 


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